Novel
One Day of Life
Un día en la vida
Manlio Argueta · 1980
Synopsis
A day, from five in the morning to five in the evening, in the life of Guadalupe Guardado, known as Lupe, a middle-aged peasant woman who lives near Chalatenango, just before the civil war. Her husband, José, works for a large landowner and is active among the agricultural workers; her son Justino has been killed, her son-in-law Helio has disappeared, and her granddaughter Adolfina is joining the struggle in her turn. Lupe cooks, looks after the children and the garden, and remembers; between her monologues, other voices speak, those of peasant women, guards and priests.
Context
The novel appeared in El Salvador, where it was banned for what it showed of human rights violations, while its author had been living in exile for eight years. Bill Brow translated it into English under the title One Day of Life, published in New York by Vintage Books, and it has appeared in more than twelve languages. The Modern Library ranked it the fifth Latin American novel of the twentieth century, a choice that has been criticised. The day takes place in 1979, and the narrative lets the language of the countryside be heard.
Who it is for
A short novel, made of monologues, in peasant Spanish; the English translation makes it possible to read it outside the Hispanic world.
Prizes and reception
It appears, in fifth place, in the Modern Library's ranking of the century's Latin American novels.
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