Thoughtful view into the pervasive personal effects of an oppressive government and a culture of untruth. ( )

This was an okay read, but it wasn't one I was crazy about, which sometimes happens. It just wasn't for me. No regrets, but it just was okay. ( )

Impressive novel that deals with the personal toll civil war takes on individuals. It is part dystopia, but clearly inspired by Peruvian (and more generally American nations) history with internal violence. Norma's effort to sort through the disinformation and the temptation we all feel to accept the more comfortable lie that the bitter truth strikes an authentic note. I'll keep an eye out for more from Alarcon. ( )

Wow. Read this book. ( )

In an unnamed city in an unnamed South American country, Norma is the beloved on-air host of “Lost City Radio,” where the nation’s lost and tormented souls try to reconnect with loved ones they’ve lost track of. It is ten years since the most recent civil war ended – at least officially. But people still live in fear of reprisal and even Norma’s show isn’t immune to the sort of self-censorship that comes from self-preservation. Norma’s husband is among the missing, and she daren’t read his name aloud.

The powerful thing about this book is that it is so universal. While it takes place in South America, it could take place in many countries around the world. Alarcon explores what it means to live in constant fear, trusting no one, afraid that any small slip of the tongue may mark you as the enemy or a collaborator, leaving you second-guessing every small gesture or the posture of that stranger on the street you’ve seen once too often recently. His use of the orphan boy, Victor, to trigger the memories of the adults he comes across is an effective technique. For like most children, Victor’s needs are simple and immediate. He doesn’t understand the larger implications of his mission to take a list of missing from his small mountain village to the large city radio station. He only knows that he is alone, and that this is his chance to find his father.

Alarcon mixes tenses fluidly and sometimes within one paragraph. A remark or smell will trigger a memory and the text follows the character’s wandering mind as he or she remembers something that happened in the past. Then, just as suddenly as awakening from a dream, the action is back in the present and we are back on the bus headed for the city, or back in the café having lunch. It sounds as if this would be very confusing, but Alarcon is skilled at making this device work wonderfully.

In the end, only the reader knows what happened to one missing person, while being left to wonder what will happen to the many.
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