Behind the bushes

The first time she spots him, she’s so carefree that she jumps up the moment she sees him. Kasi is a teenager of almost fourteen; and he, the Old Man, is much older. Their first chance encounter takes place in a park. They will see each other again several times. Cassie escapes from the pressure of school and her difficulty in interacting with the world around her. He likes to watch the birds and listen to Nina Simone’s music; he doesn’t work and has a troubled past. The two elusive and wounded characters form an inappropriate, unacceptable relationship, which will arouse suspicion and lead to rejection by those around them. Yet what is happening, what is said to be happening, and the interpretation of what is happening do not coincide. A solid prose voice... Sara Mesa approaches this particularly dark event in an admirable way, using calm and vivid language. ―El País Sara Mesa’s ability to map the human condition through failure, the abuse of power, and slow, constant humiliation is thrilling. That is why her books are so fascinating; they always have something honest and dark about them. ―La Razón

Nat, a young, inexperienced translator, has just moved to the small rural village of Eskapa. It won’t be long before her landlord shows his true colours, and the conflicts surrounding the dilapidated rented house will turn into a real obsession for Nat. The other residents of the area welcome her with apparent warmth, whilst in reality there lies an underlying lack of understanding of difference and a strange aggression. Nat is confronted not only with the oppression of the local community, but also with her own self and her failures. Sara Mesa’s novel, full of silences and misunderstandings, prejudices and innuendo, taboos and transgressions, brings the reader face to face with the limits of their own morality. Just as in a Greek tragedy, here too the protagonists’ most hidden and unexpected desires emerge as the closed society finds its scapegoat. The way Sara Mesa charts the human condition through the defeated, the abuse of power, oppressive and isolated regions, and slow and steady decay is shocking. That is why her novels are so compelling: because they are always harsh, dark and honest. ―Ángeles López, La Razón

‘There are no secrets in this family!’ declares Damian, the Father, at the beginning of this book; a man of unshakeable opinions and ideals, obsessed with integrity and upbringing. But this house without secrets is in fact full of cracks, and the oppression weighing down within its four walls will eventually create escape routes, codes of transgression, secrets, pretences and lies. Comprising two girls, two boys, a Mother and a Father, this seemingly normal family—working-class and full of good intentions—is the protagonist of this polyphonic novel. Each member has their own moment, their own voice; leaving the impression of a book of short stories that, taken together, paint a picture of the family. Sara Mesa once again demonstrates her ability to lay bare human behaviour, creating a compelling portrait of the family. At the same time, she expresses her intense desire for freedom and critiques the pillars that traditionally underpinned – and to a large extent still underpin – the institution of the family: authoritarianism and obedience, shame and silence. A groundbreaking book that confirms that Sara Mesa’s talent continues to grow.