Description

A claustrophobic story of desire and small town unease in the vein of Dogville or Coetzee’s Disgrace.

On the heels of a cryptic mistake, Nat arrives in the rural village of La Escapa. She rents a small house from a negligent landlord, adopts a dog and begins to work on her first literary translation. But nothing in La Escapa is easy: her dog is ill-tempered and skittish, and mutual misunderstandings with her neighbours simmer below the surface. When conflict arises over repairs to her house, Nat receives an unusual offer – one that tests her sense of self and reveals her most unexpected desires. As Nat tries to understand her decision, the community of La Escapa comes together in search of a scapegoat.

Now a feature film, directed by Isabel Coixet. Selected as the ‘Best Book of 2020’ by El Pais, La Vanguardia, El Cultural and El Correo. Shortlisted by El Mundo, Forbes, Elle, W Magazine and La Nueva Espana.

Publisher Review

‘Sara Mesa’s writing is mysterious and fascinating: her characters brush against the limits in environments of fierce false calm. Un Amor is one of her best novels – tense and beautiful like a crouching bird.’ – Mariana Enriquez, author of Our Share of Night and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed; ‘Sara Mesa sees the world through the lens of power, exploring how questions of strength and weakness shape human behaviour.’ – Annie McDermott, The Times Literary Supplement; ‘What can I say about a story in which everything works?’ – Sergio Sancor, Libros y Literatura; ‘Sara Mesa creates high-voltage literature crafted with goldsmith’s precision.’ – Rafael Chirbes, renowned Spanish author of On the Edge