1978 Cuba, two underground revolutionaries Neto and Rafael meet at a gathering of activists in and fall in love. Now not only are they hiding from the authoritarian right-wing government in El Salvador, but also hiding their forbidden love from their comrades.

In 2018, Ana and Luis, two Harvard students who are trying to find out information about their family histories grapple with the ethics of using the defractor, a device that allows people to see all the alternate paths their lives could have taken. Both students have roots in El Salvador, with their families having fled the civil war in El Salvador a generation previous.

As they conduct their research, they come to terms with the cracks forming in their relationship. This heart-rending novel is a dual timeline story about the dissolution of countries and relationships. It also explores the way state violence and love endure throughout generations.

This debut will appeal to fans of historical and literary fiction with a touch of magic/sci-fi, and readers with a keen interest in Latin American and Latinx histories.