A Little Luck - by Claudia Piñeiro (Paperback)

About the Book

A woman returns home to confront the past, a family, and the reverberations of a death that she had abandoned decades before.

Book Synopsis

From the author of Elena Knows, finalist for the 2022 International Booker Prize

20 years after a shocking accident, Mary Lohan returns to the Buenos Aires suburb she escaped in a fugue of guilt and isolation. She is not the same--not her name or voice, not even the color of her eyes. The neighborhood looks different too, but she's still the same woman and it's still the same place, and as the past erupts into view, they slowly collide.

A Little Luck is the story about the debilitating weight of lies, the messy line between bravery and cowardice, and the tragedies, big and small, that can ripple out from a single decisive event. In a place she had determined to forget forever, both anticipated encounters and unanticipated revelations show her, and us, that sometimes life is neither fate nor chance: perhaps it's nothing more than a little luck.

Review Quotes

"A striking meditation on loss and the search for home." --Publishers Weekly

"A moving story about the courage to face the past and earn a chance at redemption." --Kirkus

"An investigation into the limits of narrative, Claudia Piñeiro's latest cements the writer as a giant of Argentine literature. (5 stars)" --The Skinny

"A Little Luck is a thrilling read, a page turner, a mystery, a psychological deep dive into character." --Julia Alvarez, author of HOW THE GARCÍA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS and IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES

"Piñeiro excels at creating poignant, emotive fiction which aims for both heart and head." --Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop

"I highly recommend A Little Luck by Claudia Piñeiro." --Harvard Bookstore

"Piñeiro is quickly establishing herself to English readers as a novelist capable of utter devastation, but she consistently offers a little hope in the dark." --The Big Issue

"A must-read." --Morning Star

"Piñeiro once again demonstrates her expertise in suspense and intrigue." --Sounds & Colours

"Examines the plight of those who, for no fault of their own, are abandoned by the community and shunned by society." --The Arts Fuse

"The writing and pacing are superb...there's not a dull moment to be had." --Tony's Reading List

About the Author

Born in Buenos Aires in 1960, Claudia Piñeiro is a best-selling author, known internationally for her novels that, while rooted in the crime genre, frequently address social issues. She has won numerous national and international prizes, including the Pepe Carvalho Prize, the LiBeraturpreis for Elena Knows and the prestigious Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize for Las grietas de Jara (A Crack in the Wall). Many of her novels have been adapted for the big screen, including Elena Knows (Netflix). Piñeiro is the third most translated Argentinean author after Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar. She's also a playwright and scriptwriter (including popular Netflix series The Kingdom ). Her novel Elena Knows was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize.

Frances Riddle has translated numerous Spanish-language authors including Isabel Allende, Claudia Piñeiro, Leila Guerriero, and Sara Gallardo. Her translation of Theatre of War by Andrea Jeftanovic was granted an English PEN Award in 2020. Her work has appeared in journals such as Granta, Electric Literature, and The White Review, among others. She holds a BA in Spanish Language Literature from Louisiana State University and an MA in Translation Studies from the University of Buenos Aires. In 2022, Frances' translation of Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. Originally from Houston, Texas she lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.