Not A River

"Austere yet deeply humane…exhilaratingly accomplished." —The Times Literary Supplement"

In this potent novella from Argentine writer Almada (Brickmakers), the killing of a stingray sets off a series of fateful events along an unnamed South American river. […] Like a dream, this otherworldly tale lingers in the reader’s mind." —Publishers Weekly

"A virtuoso literary work. […] Flashbacks and side scenes deepen the story which curls and twines like a thrusting tropical vine through the past, roping in sisters, wives, old lovers, boyhood adventures, and jealousies."" —Annie Proulx , author of THE SHIPPING NEWS

"Told with the hallucinatory atmosphere of a dream, this astonishing, stark novel doesn’t turn away from the hypnotic and disturbing effects of violence. Not a River plunges us straight into the depths of its silences, bracingly so—the longer the quiet goes, the more terrible the rupture."" —Manuel Muñoz , author of WHAT YOU SEE IN THE DARK

"Selva Almada constructs a lyric of roughness, of few words, a lyric in which the strong, calloused hands of her characters hardly need to be described to make themselves felt. They touch you. "" —Gabriela Cabezón Cámara , author of THE ADVENTURES OF CHINA IRON

"Whether we are on an island or not, water is displacement, and reading this novel gently carries us through characters and places. " —Agencia Paco Urondo"A skillfully crafted novel…Almada skilfully weaves together a vibrant and lyrical narrative." —Morning Star

"Poignant storytelling about loss and resilience." —Kirkus