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From a major new talent in Latin American literature comes a tale of cultures, languages, spirits, and the natural world on the brink of transformation
“Of all the happy, hermitic lands, the Guayrá was the jewel.”
So begins this polyphonic wonder of a novel set in a 17th-century Jesuit mission founded within the wild South American subtropics by the mystical and intense Father Ruiz and his assistant Father Maceta. As the priests seek to convert the indigenous Guaraní and unravel the many religious mysteries that surround them, the harmony of their community is abruptly upended by the arrival of Overá, who announces himself as the Son of God and younger brother of Jesus. But an even larger threat presents itself when word arrives that European marauders and slave hunters will soon descend upon the peaceful mission, compelling Overá and the priests to launch a mass exodus into the heart of the jungle.
Full of humor, passion, and terror, The Depopulation brilliantly evokes the moment when modernity’s spark set fire to a still-magic world.
“[An] immersive English-language debut set in 17th-century South America. . . . The novel brims with lush descriptions of Guayrá forests, and Closs, who exhibits deep knowledge of the region’s history, often uses dry humor to highlight the absurdity of the Jesuits’ “civilizing mission.” . . . It’s an inspired effort.” —Publishers Weekly
“The narrative voice reverberates with the resonance of parable and is peppered with Guaraní songs and verses. . . . A beautiful, absurd, and fascinating exploration of the tragic fallout from a fierce cultural clash.” —Booklist
“Threaded by beautifully imaginative prose and a cast of endearing characters, The Depopulation is a poetic journey into the depths of nature, affection, and religious experience. Marina Closs strikes me as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Latin American literature.” —Simón López Trujillo, author of Pedro the Vast
“Marina Closs’s writing trembles, sweats, explodes; she is, as of now, one of my favorite writers.” —Mónica Ojeda, author of Jawbone and Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun