Wow! eBook
Ostrich Legs
Author(s): Alicia Kozameh (Author)
- Publisher: Wings Press
- Publication Date: 1 Feb. 2013
- Language: English
- Print length: 200 pages
- ISBN-10: 1609402480
- ISBN-13: 9781609402488
Book Description
Partially autobiographical, this translation of the Spanish Patas de Avestruz is a masterpiece of introspective, linguistically innovative fiction about the relationship between two sisters-one severely handicapped, the other gifted yet overlooked. Mariana is four years older than her sister Alcira, but Mariana is seriously disabled and slowly dying. Conveying the experience of a physically messy process, this account points out the flaws in adult society through the point-of-view of its child protagonist. At its core, the novel is about the abuse of power and its consequences-whether that abuse is by a government, a parent, or a child.
Editorial Reviews
Review
The human body―complicated, mysterious, simultaneously beautiful and repellent―plays the starring role in Alicia Kozameh’s compelling novel. Alcira is the younger of two sisters; her elder sister, Mariana, is physically and mentally disabled. The novel traces the complicated relationship between the sisters through the years and shows how the family addresses the challenges of Mariana’s upbringing. . . . This is a complex, multileveled, satisfying novel that will give book-group readers plenty of themes to discuss.” ―Booklist (January 2013)
About the Author
Alicia Kozameh is a former Argentinean political prisoner. She is a creative writing and literature professor at Chapman University, USA and the author of five novels in Spanish, including Steps under Water, a collection of short stories, and a book of poetry. She has also worked extensively with Amnesty International to share her prison experiences and to promote human rights.
