cw: death, extreme thirst/hunger

thank you to @worldeditions for this review copy through @netgalley 🧡

this book transported me straight to the rural lands of Argentina, right into the hearts of the characters as they wade through the push and pull of connection, trying to remain connected to their family members, to their ancestors, while also navigating the need to disconnect from their land in order to survive

I really enjoyed this as a family journey from the mountain home and enjoyed the concept of their journey. The characters felt like real people and I thought it worked as a story being told. Mariana Travacio was able to weave a strong storyline and was invested in what was happening.

Lina wants to leave her Argentinian quebrada, where the soil is dry and the land barren, no longer offering them anything for sustenance. Her only son left years earlier with her younger brother. She is not sure exactly where she will go but has general directions from a local medicine woman. In any event, she hopes to find her son and brother or at least experience a better life.

Her husband, Relicario, resists. For him, leaving means abandoning not just the land, but the ancestors buried within it. The quebrada is the only place his family has ever known. Lina departs alone, amidst her husband’s protests. After several weeks, Relicario gets his affairs in order, and eventually tries to find Lina, carrying with him a donkey and the remains of his parents.

The story unfolds through shifting perspectives, allowing readers to inhabit the minds of the various characters.  As we read, we learn about the family’s troubled past and how it converges—whether for good or ill—in the present. The reader is riveted by each encounter.

The lyrical prose, beautifully translated, brings the landscape vividly to life. The style enriches the narrative, drawing readers into the rawness of each character’s plight while also evoking the larger human condition: our need to belong and our struggle to survive.

All That Dies in April is not just a story about one family—it is a reflection on migration, identity, and survival in Latin America. A "must-read"!

3.5

The first part of this short novel follows Lina Ramos, the wife of Relicario Cruz, desperate to leave the quebrada. She tries to reason with her husband saying there is nothing there for them any longer and she wishes to follow her son's lead to the sea. Relicario lets her leave, vowing not to abandon the graves of his mother and father. However he finally relents and follows in Lina's footsteps.

I found the second part quite difficult to follow. It features Lina's son but the story seemed quite disjointed and the end was confusing to me.

So, for me, a book of two distinct halves and I would have preferred to stay following Relicario until he arrived at Lina's village. However I would recommend it.

Thankyou to Netgalley and World Editions for the advance review copy.

Loved this! ❤️‍🔥 Mariana Travacio’s All That Dies in April, translated from the Spanish by Will Morningstar and Samantha Schnee, was first published under the title Quebrada in 2022. I was interested to learn that this could mean a ravine or dry riverbed that can quickly fill up with water in times of torrential rain, or broken, the root of the word quebrar meaning ‘to break’. These layers of meaning were perfectly incorporated into the text and structure, the narrative broken into two parts.

In the first part, chapters alternate between the perspectives of a couple struggling to survive on the arid landscape they live on, even having to make the impossible choice of letting their young son go with his uncle in search of a better life in better climates. Years later, the wife Lina has finally had enough, choosing to leave in search of the sea. Her husband Relicario doesn’t initially follow, reluctant to leave his ancestral land and histories for the unknown, but eventually chooses to try and trace his beloved wife’s steps, accompanied by a lone donkey and the bones of his dead. In the second part, another cycle of the story continues through the eyes of a different narrator, shifting this time to a ranch in the plains. Both narratives appear to echo each other, towards a shocking end.

This was fantastic on multiple levels. The storyline, the symbolism, the lyrical writing, the tension and atmosphere, the landscape coming vividly alive. Though not located to a specific point in space-time, it is a book of our times, still so relevant with the need to make difficult choices in changing climates, lives dependent on where we stand, migration a timeless human story. Reminiscent of a fable, it’s a tale rich with told and untold stories of the living and the dead, the hopes and joys and troubles of all who have made their lives on this particular land, the tragedies of human nature. It tells of the hardships endured, the weight of allowing ancestral pasts to give way to hopeful futures. There is no one without the other, only the present like water, life a force unto its own coursing on regardless.

Thank you @worldedbooks , so grateful! 💗

An atmospheric and emotional novel about a woman who leaves her village in search of a better life. This was an incredible book, following Lina’s journey across the landscape, as well as her husband, Relicario’s, solitary experience following her with a donkey and the unearthed bones of his parents. It’s beautifully written, taking the reader into the desolate setting, as the couple reflect on their lives and the memories that have shaped them.

Everything is brought together masterfully in the second half, creating a wonderful narrative which meanders through the immersive landscape exploring the moments which leave an impact.

Absolutely loved this book!

Set in Argentina, All That Dies in April is an emotive, powerful, and raw work of translation, told in brief alternating perspectives with no extraneous words, Lina longs for her son, the river, the sea, and work. Drought has taken its toll emotionally and financially. She leaves home one day on her quest to find what is lost and after a time, her husband Relcario decides to follow her, his love he cannot live without. At first, the notion of deserting his ancestral land is obscene but after trading his house for a donkey and wagon, he secures the bones of his parents, takes Jumento, and heads out. Lina and Relcario encounter the same goatherds and the same wisdom along the way. Interspersed with the talk of the drought and rains are a few almost jarring stories of savagery. Unexpected and effective.

Such spare writing isn't my usual wheelhouse but it certainly is impactful and grew on me. The parallels are fascinating and thought provoking. There is so much to unpack in this short novella. I'd like to explore more writing by this author.

Reading in translation gets me out of any reading rut I may be in, allowing me to read from a different country, and be told a story I would never have picked up otherwise. Reading from other cultures widens our worldview and fosters connection and understanding. We need lots of that.

This is an absolutely beautiful story of a late middle aged couple who live in Argentina’s quebrada, a colourful, mountainous region (that IRL is designated a UNESCO heritage site). Lina and Relicario’s son left years ago with Lina’s brother to find work, and never returned. In a dry landscape with little opportunity, Lina leaves to find work and a better life. Perhaps her son, too. Relicario stays, but finally is compelled to leave and try to follow Lina.

This is a contained, short novel that gives few details other than what the reader needs to know, but that is enough in this case for me. An Argentine reader may know more about the regional issues, but I was happy just to exist in the story. I’m not even sure what the historical time frame is, or if it is the present day. Every word matters, and I related to every character, including the dramatic landscape, which seemed a character in its own right.

I loved the connection that Relicario and other characters have to their dead. It’s important in a way that we don’t seem to have as much in Canada. It’s not just the memories, but the sense of being connected to the land via one’s ancestors, and even feeling a connection to the physical bones themselves. I also loved the idea of “excess.” Lina travels from what she sees as a land of deprivation to the fecund, grassy ranch where she gets a job. But excess created problems too: the excess rain in April, for example, brings life, but also death and madness.

I wish the story would have continued, as my only criticism is that it ended somewhat abruptly. Trevacio has written many books, and I’d like to seek out her other English translations.

Thanks to NetGalley and World Editions for a gifted copy.

A literary fiction novella, All That Dies in April (2025) by Mariana Travacio (translated from Spanish by Will Morningstar and Samantha Schnee) is set in the mountain range high above the Argentine pampas plain. Lina Ramos is married to Relicario Cruz as they struggle to exist in the desolate cliff environment. Lina decides one day that she wants to leave for a better life, but Relicario refuses as he cannot leave the lands of his family. As Lina traverses down the mountain to find the stream that leads to a village, she encounters goat herders and eventually a travelling companion. In the meantime, her husband chooses to follow and sets off on his own journey, with his donkey and cart. It’s a fable like tale of a journey and ancestry, which is rich in prose and imagery with a four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to World Editions and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

I could feel the pain of the mother wanting to reunite with her son and the loneliness of her husband left behind in this well written, moving tale. The harshness of the landscape and the difficulties they faced were vividly described, as was the kindness of encountered strangers.

Narrated between Lina and Relicario, Lina’s husband, in part 1 and then a third character we get introduced to in part 2. I was pulled in the first few chapters and liked how short they were! It did drag a little at times in the middle, but then in the second half/part 2 of the story I was fully immersed not wanting to put it down.

I loved the descriptions of the landscape and the tense atmosphere when it would storm and rain. There were so many beautiful quotes and details that I highlighted throughout the book.

All That Dies in April is a Meandering story as we follow the two main characters but then everything comes together like a puzzle. The ending left me craving more but at the same time felt so perfect for what the story was??

A lyrical, emotional story of how the landscape can create hardship, and the separation of a family desperate to not just survive but to thrive. This is one of those books where although not a lot happens and so little is said, every moment makes an impact and you can’t help but feel drawn back to these characters lives! I read this as part of my reading around the world challenge for Argentina.

Rating: 4.5 stars

All That Dies in April is set in Argentina, during a time of great poverty. Droughts in the mountain village mean that food is scarce; making a living is impossible. For some time, Lina has wanted to leave and follow her son, who left a few years before. Her husband refuses to leave because he does not want to leave his ancestors, all buried locally, behind.

So Lina leaves by herself, with only a vague understanding of the direction she must go in to find work, food, and a place to call home.

After some time, Relicario decides to follow, digging up the bones of his ancestors to take with him as he can't bear to abandon them in the desolate mountains. With only a donkey for company, he follows in Lina's direction.

On the way, both experience hardship and violence and fear, and both at times wish they'd never left. But still they go on, Relicario seeking Lina and Lina seeking a safe home.

I really enjoyed this story, the characters were well drawn, and I felt for both of them. It ended suddenly, and without a satisfactory conclusion, which is the only fault I could say about this book.

A powerful and impactful book. How does one choose to leave their ancestral home? What are the motivating factors? This is brilliantly presented in A poignant novel full of longing and sorrow. Very well done.

Hot damn... this book hits!

A haunting and deeply moving novel about a woman who, after years of feeling trapped in a drought-stricken village, embarks on a journey in search of a better life. Behind her, unwilling to abandon the land steeped in the memories of their ancestors, her husband follows—accompanied only by a donkey and the unearthed bones of his parents.

In brief, alternating chapters, Lina and Relicario lead us through their separate, solitary odysseys—across treacherous mountains, through fleeting acts of kindness and sudden bursts of violence. Each carries the weight of longing, seeking the one thing that calls to them most.

A breathtaking tale of love, longing, and the restless pull of wanderlust—where taking a leap of faith means venturing into the unknown, carried only by the quiet pulse of possibility.

All the stars. Hypnotic. Heartwrenching. Hallowed. Just... holy wow.

It was a rather propulsive read that kept me glued to the pages until the very end. However, the ending came far too quickly; it took me only a couple of hours to finish the novel. There are hints of the desolation and existential dread found in the recent wave of writing by women from Latin America, but I was left wanting more. I enjoyed it immensely while it lasted, but I was faced with the last page too soon for me to develop a proper rapport with the book.

Poetic, harrowing, and quietly powerful, All That Dies in April is a haunting tale of survival, separation, and longing.

Set high above the Argentine pampas, the stark and desolate landscape mirrors the emotional terrain of a family fractured by poverty and drought.

Lina’s decision to leave her home in search of her son and a better future sets a slow-burning journey into motion, while her husband Relicario follows with ancestral bones in tow, bound by memory and tradition. Their parallel paths reveal the brutal consequences of displacement and the quiet strength of hope.

Travacio’s prose is spare yet lyrical, each sentence infused with a quiet tension. Despite the bleakness, there is beauty in the writing and resilience in the characters. This is not a story of grand gestures, but of quiet persistence in the face of despair.

A slim yet intense read that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Although short, this is one of the most powerful and memorable books I’ve read in some decades. It’s a challenging read, filled with heartbreak, but there’s also hope and Mariana Travacio has captured two indomitable spirits in husband and wife who set off in search of a better life. The stark drought ridden Argentina landscape is well depicted and Lina’s loneliness as she set off on foot in search of her son was almost palpable. Her husband realises he needs to be with her and sets off later, on a donkey with ancestral bones in a sack. The imagery is haunting and incredibly moving. As a British reader, I felt drawn into a world that, sadly, for many, is real. It was a privilege to have that insight and the translation feels sympathetic. I read part of this through tears; it’s profound, moving and incredibly well written. It’s a book I’ll read again with closer attention to some of the detail I may have missed whilst feeling sorrow for the tragedies and travesties that were experienced and witnessed. It’s an amazing story and one that deserves a wide audience.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This novella was a short but impactful story about an impoverished Argentinian family's difficult choice to leave their drought-stricken homeland in search of opportunity. The story is told in brief snippets from multiple points of view. The straightforward and unflourished writing style underscores the severity of the landscape and the suffering of its characters as they endure and persevere through unspeakable hardship. Recommend for readers who enjoy reflective and challenging narratives that focus on character development.

It's a road novel without a road. A married couple take separate journeys from their mountain home. The wife leaves first out of frustration due to an ongoing drought and the hope she would find a trace of her missing son. The husband, at first refuses to leave, but soon realises he needs to be with his wife. He departs with a wagon, carrying the bones of his parents, and pulled by a donkey with great character.
Along the way they meet kind and not so kind people. The ranch the wife arrives at is home to a bizarre family where tragedy awaits.
The book explores inequality, family ties, hope and the folly of people. I found the writing to be engrossing.