by Samanta Schweblin (trans. Megan McDowell)
Feverish, Argentinian horror.
Lying in a hospital bed in rural Argentina, Amanda is visited by eight-year-old stranger, David. A traumatic and terrifying event has brought her to this point and the precocious David cajoles her into confronting the memory.
Amanda is immobile and David explains ‘It’s the worms. You have to be patient and wait. And while we wait, we have to find the exact moment when the worms come into being…It’s very important it’s very important for us all.’
Schweblin skilfully structures the narrative, essentially a dialogue between Amanda and David, to pile on the nightmare.
Brimming with dread.
