Elena Knows

Synopsis

After Rita is found dead in the bell tower of the church she faithfully attended, the authorities are quick to rule her death a suicide. Her mother, Elena, refuses to accept that explanation. Living with advanced Parkinson's disease and dependent on a strict medication schedule, even crossing Buenos Aires is an exhausting ordeal, yet Elena embarks on one final journey to uncover the truth about her daughter's final days.

As her investigation unfolds, long-buried secrets surface, exposing the quiet violence of social expectations, religious hypocrisy, and the sacrifices women are expected to make for one another. Told over the course of a single day, Elena Knows is both a gripping literary mystery and a profound meditation on motherhood, disability, autonomy, and the hidden burdens carried across generations. Claudia Piñeiro masterfully balances suspense with emotional depth, creating a novel that lingers long after its final pages. Shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize, it stands as one of the defining works of contemporary Latin American fiction.

About the Author

Claudia Piñeiro is one of Argentina's most celebrated contemporary writers. The author of numerous bestselling novels, plays, and screenplays, she is renowned for combining literary fiction with psychological suspense and sharp social observation. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages, and several of her novels have been adapted for film and television. Elena Knows is translated from the Spanish by Frances Riddle.

Publisher

Charco Press

Publication Date

July 13, 2021

Format

Paperback

Pages

173

Subjects

Literary Fiction · Fiction in Translation · Argentine Literature · Literary Mystery · Psychological Fiction · Feminist Fiction

ISBN

9781999368432