A Scarcity of Condors

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Pub Date 10 Dec 2019 | Archive Date 27 Apr 2020

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Description

Juleón "Jude" Tholet has survival in his DNA. His father, Cleon, lived through imprisonment and torture during Pinochet's military coup in Chile. His mother, Penny, risked everything to gain her husband's freedom and flee the country with their newborn son. But as a closeted gay teenager growing up in Vancouver, Jude is targeted by a neighborhood bully called El Cóndor, culminating in a vicious hate crime that forces the Tholets to flee their country again.

Jude cautiously rebuilds his life in Seattle, becoming an accomplished pianist, but his his wings have been clipped and he cannot seem to soar in his relationships. Only family remains a constant source of strength and joy, until a DNA test reveals something that shocks all the Tholets: Jude is not their child.

Stunned by the test results, the Tholets must dig into their painful past, re-examine their lives in 1973 Santiago and the events surrounding Jude's birth story. It’s a tale rooted in South America’s Operation Condor. It spreads through Pinochet’s terrifying regime of detention camps, torture, disappeared civilians and stolen children. The journey forces Penny Tholet to confront the gaps in her memory while Cleon must re-live an ordeal he’s long kept hidden away in a secret world. The tale ends with Jude digging through his genetic code in a quest to find his biological parents. Are they alive? Or are they among Los Desaparecidos—the Disappeared Ones?

Suanne Laqueur’s third standalone novel of the Venery series explores the desperate acts of love made in times of war, and the many ways family can be defined.

Juleón "Jude" Tholet has survival in his DNA. His father, Cleon, lived through imprisonment and torture during Pinochet's military coup in Chile. His mother, Penny, risked everything to gain her...


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Featured Reviews

It’s definitely more of a 4.5.

CW: Very graphic descriptions of rape and torture during Operation Condor in Chile under the Pinochet regime and the effects of PTSD on the survivors; the MC is the victim of a hate crime

I have waited for this book for almost an year now, so ofcourse I had very high expectations from it. But after the beautiful experiences I had reading Larks and Finches, I was confident that the author would mesmerize me again with her words and I’m so glad she managed to do just that.

I have very vivid memories of crying buckets while reading the previous two books in this series, so I was very much prepared to do the same this time around. But maybe I have changed in the past year and a half, because while this book is still a tough, emotional, beautiful read, I ended up crying only at a few moments. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that there was not a single moment in the book where I wanted to put it down. Once I started reading, I knew I had to go on and I ended up staying up very very late in the night (or morning) to finish it. It horrified me, broke my heart, and then mended it with care and I can’t really ask anything more from a novel.

The author’s writing is mesmerizing and poetic as always, bringing to life the deep emotions being felt by the characters and making us feel connected to them. The author is absolutely wonderful in making us believe the love that characters feel for each other, and the impact they leave on us is very long lasting. But she is also brutal in describing the atrocities that were committed during the Pinochet regime in Chile and how this trauma has affected the survivors for decades after and through generations. It’s this narrative of beautiful relationships in a world that is oppressive and torturous, and how characters manage to find a way forward in their lives that makes this book (and this series) so affecting.

One thing you can be sure of in Suanne’s books, you will feel deeply for every single character, and it’s no different here. The Tholet’s are a family who have survived unbelievable atrocities which makes them very close to each other in their own ways and I absolutely adored the dynamic between them. They bickered, they argued, they broke down and shut off but when it mattered, they all had each other’s backs. Cleon and Penny suffer so much, leaving behind their homes and lives when their community turns against them on multiple occasions, but they always support and believe in each other and the family they nurture is just beautiful.

I can’t even describe what I felt about Jude. So much of his life is defined by what happened to his parents and then what happened to him, that it was a wonder how he was able to survive. And then life throws him another curve ball and I wasn’t sure how adversely he would be affected. But then comes Tej into his life like a whirlwind and I was again captivated by the development of their romance. As another child survivor of war, Tej and Jude complement each other perfectly and it was a joy watching them open up and fall in love. Jude’s sardonic wit and Tej’s eternal charm make for some lovely moments within a very tough tale full of uncertainty, loss and grief.

There are also some fun side characters who bring levity to the story, like Jude’s sister Serena and her Italian boyfriend or Jude’s best friend Hewan and her partner. Even Tej’s sister Mirelle’s dog is absolutely adorable. But it’s the resolution of one of the most intense arcs in the story which brings in cameos from the previous books in the series that completely blew me away and reminded me again why I love these books and characters so much.

To conclude, I firstly apologize for not saying anything coherent in my review because I just don’t have words. I’m completely in love with the story and characters and writing and I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys family sagas and romance for the ages. However, make sure you are prepared for some very very tough subjects that the author tackles sensitively but they will probably wreck you emotionally and leave you a sobbing mess. But I promise they are worth experiencing.

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Another wonderful book by the super talented Suanne Laqueur.

Her well researched history on the atrocities under the Pinochet government in Chile and her brilliant attention to detail in being able to connect seemingly unrelated threads together make her an exceptional author.

Be ready to fall in love with yet another remarkable family and be equally ready to be blown away about where this story takes you. I must admit I could guess early on what happened to the baby Penny gave birth to, but what blew me away was Jude side of the story. It was brilliant!!

I LOVED the history in this book and I learnt so much about Chile that I never knew and needless to say I absolutely loved Jude.

So why the 4 stars........well as much as it pains me to say there were a couple of things...... The transition from past to present and vice versa was not as as easy to follow for me as it was in previous books and I felt the “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” memory was repeated too many times to keep it impactful.

This final point is not a reflection only on this book or author but is something that I have noticed more and more over recent years by many authors in numerous books. There is an assumed knowledge that the reader has some understanding of the Spanish language, (which I don’t) and many instances the words / sentences in Spanish were not translated.

Anyone who has read any of Suanne Laqueur’s books needs to read this next instalment.

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I've been waiting a long time for this book, knowing the life and wordsmith magic Suanne Laqueur breathes into her stories. The anticipation was not in vain. A Scarcity of Condors is the 3rd book in her Venery series and so far, all of the stories and characters are incredible in how the lives and experiences unfold and reach out to the reader. If the expectation is that this will be like Larks or Finches, Condors is a bit of a deviation from the other two, although some themes remain parallel. There are time jumps from chapter to chapter, which were connected seamlessly so that I never felt confused as to where I was in time despite multiple transitions.

The present time story focuses on Jude Tholet, son of Penny and Cleon Tholet in 2010. Jude, Penny and Cleon have all survived some pretty traumatic and tragic things separately. The good news is that they have all made it to the other side as well adjusted human beings, who adapted and overcame so many obstacles and know how to love and savor life as it is now. But the book takes the reader back to those times when they are in the thick of it and would rather forget it. Knowing that a lot of what is described in Chile in 1973 was based off of factual accounts and information is harrowing and disturbing. Many parts are not easy to read because the truth is so far from pretty, that ugly is not an adequate enough word. Yet it seemed to be a story of many voices that demanded to be told and heard by an audience who would listen, learn and lament for all of those people to know they are not forgotten. I wholeheartedly applaud the author for that.

There's multiple tiers in the plot. Jude discovers that he is not genetically the same as his parents, which launches a quest for who he is and where are his biological parents. Not to mention that he is a gay man who struggles with relationships given that he was tragically targeted for it as a teenager and can this new guy whom he's smitten with possibly be the one worth keeping? There's also the kind of love that transcends blood because Penny and Cleon both have their own history to share despite not wanting to revisit it, but all I could see was what brave and amazing people they are, along with Jude, and everyone else in their family network. And when Jude follows a lead that does connect to someone with a similar genetic blueprint, will that become a relationship that can be cultivated? Watching him bloom with hope and talk himself up and down while going through the journey is inspiring and eye opening, because what are the necessary threads that bind people to one another? How does one love fully and fearlessly after having dealt with the aftermath of shattered pieces and loss? There's so many topics to explore and thought provoking discussions to be had. The depth and richness and research put into this is impeccable and unrivaled. It is books like these that make me feel empowered as a reader.

If you haven't been reading this series, you are sorely missing out on literary masterpieces and inspirational characters. These don't just come highly recommended, they are must-reads.

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Stunning! Another powerful story of family, love, loss and the bonds of family from Suanne Laqueur.

Jude Tholet grew up surrounded by a loving and accepting family. When he came out as gay as a teenager, his family tried to protect him from almost unspeakable violence by moving from their home in Vancouver to Seattle. But his parents Cleon and Penelope had themselves seen horrible violence before, when they escaped from the brutality of Pinochet’s regime in Chile. I had a passing knowledge of the torture inflicted by soldiers and the government on ordinary citizens but this book had me gasping and sobbing at the atrocities. Sadly, Jude’s family was all too acquainted with violence.

“You must survive this. Build your house again. Pick up the knocked-over furniture, straighten the rugs, sweep the floor. Start again because thou shalt survive.”

Jude’s world is turned upside down when he receives news of a DNA test that showed that he was not related to his parents or those he thought of as his family. Jude and his family are stunned and the revelation forces them all to confront the painful realities of their past. But they face it united, as a family. This is the beauty of Suanne Laqueur’s writing – the loyalty, unconditional love and devotion the Tholets show one another is simply breathtaking.

There is most definitely a very adult and very sexy love story here between Jude and his new love Tej. I loved their beautiful and mature relationship and felt these two characters’ connection to each other. But would Jude’s past ruin this amazing connection?

“My habit is flight,” Jude said. “I’m hardwired like a refugee, with a bag packed and a foot out the door. First sign of trouble, I head for the border.”

This is a very difficult and graphic story to read but one that is vitally important for the world to know. We must never forget what happened in Chile in 1973 and the horrors inflicted by Pinochet. And once Jude’s parents learn of the DNA test results, they too stop at nothing to uncover the truth of what really happened the night that Jude was born. They are good people and are devastated at what the truth might be.

“The most the Tholets could hope for was a satisfying truth built out of the pieces. A truth that could never be verified, but a truth they still could believe in.”

This is a emotional story but one that is sprinkled with humor and grace and love. If you loved the other stories in the Venery series, then you will love this book as well! There is a very satisfying conclusion that felt true and real and filled with humanity.

“The sky is before me and the sky is vast. The sky has room for many true kings, as long as they know their purpose.”

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I’d like to write an objective review of one of Suanne’s books. Alas, here we are.

I’ve read nearly everything she’s written. Her voice is a source of comfort - a warm hug - a homecoming. Falling into one of her stories is like falling into bed. And who doesn’t love that?

So I thought I’d be going into this story blind. But it turns out I read a couple of early versions of it more than a year ago. I’m delighted with the writing process. Enthralled with suanne’s edits and changes. The natural progression of the story - and where it ends up.

I connect to all of suanne’s books differently. I still have a huge fat crush on Erik from The Man I Love (and a endless grudge against Daisy). I loved Val Lark. Never cared for Jav although I enjoyed his story. And I thought The Voyage of Trueblood Cay was perfection. Suanne frequently has a glib droll writing style. Sometimes her characters feel too good to be true - always with the right thing to say. Jav felt like something from a noir film - always with the one liners.

But here the writing stepped away from the slick into a land where the emotions shone a little brighter. A little more raw.

I haven’t cried during a read in a while. And when the tears came upon me here - they literally came upon me. One minute I’m reading - the next I’m ugly sobbing into my split pea soup. That good happy anguished cry where things feel so good and so bad and so much and you’re just thankful that you’re a damn reader.

So cheers to Suanne writing something a little different. A little less her. This pared down writing style leans heavily on the story - and this is a story that can handle it. Less witty back and forth and more honest emotion - this book celebrates family in all its definitions and love in all its beautiful colors.

“And when the brokenhearted people / Living in the world agree / There will be an answer, let it be.”

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Few, if any, series have moved me the way Suanne Laqueur's Venery series has. Truly, this exceptional series has haunted me, scarred me, gripped me, stayed with me long after finishing each book. And this third installment, A Scarcity of Condors, shifted and scrambled around the parts of my soul once more with the harrowing story of Jude Tholet, a Chilean born gay man whose entire identity is placed into question with one vial of spit. 

The historical accuracy Laqueur weaves through her stories will haunt me for all of my days. The atrocities these characters endure, truths all too real yet fictionalized for story's sake, will live in my nightmares indefinitely. This story brutally illustrates the absolute worst of humanity while exquisitely depicting it's resilience. This is a story of hope and love, healing and human connection. It's horribly demonstrative of the damage that will likely never heal completely, a brilliant collage of the scars reminding the most UNFORGETTABLY CAPTIVATING characters of what they've survived. It's a story of what truly makes a family, a masterfully crafted gnarled tree with tenuous branches but unwavering roots, an evocative illustration of familial bonds that have little to do with blood and everything to do with loyalty and fierce, unconditional love. 

This series is one EVERYONE must read. I am the most staunch proponent of books that change the way I look at the world and this series, this book,  educated me, enlightened me, tormented me, inspired me, captivated me, uplifted me, destroyed me, changed me, COMPLETELY BLEW ME AWAY. A Scarcity of Condors obliterated my heart and I will never, ever forget it even in the moments where I'd prefer to take it off and hang it up for a while. Laqueur's inimitable storytelling, her aggressive commitment to sharing the stories of those robbed of the opportunity to do so, her unparalleled skill in tethering her reader to a story, to characters, to every nuance of their experiences... it's like nothing else. A Scarcity of Condors is easily one of the greatest stories I've ever read, a stellar addition to one of the most searing series I've ever endured. I can not recommend this story enough.

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Here's my dilemma, am I ecstatic that I have found an emotionally intelligent writer or should i mourn the fact that she's ruined me for all else. I will crave for her words and curse after I'm done cause everything else in comparison seems insipid & bland.
It's rare to see a poignant love story with heart ripping honesty and page turning quality penned so skillfully it keeps you employed from first word till the last.
I've walked in blind in the palace of words by suanne, I'm completely subsumed in the depths of its emotions, stunned by the cruelty of power hungry dictators she starkly unearths and enthralled by the redeeming power of love she pens. To say I'm enamored, would be an understatement.
Suanne has written about a rich heritage stripped and looted by its totalitarian power grabbers. An extremely painful account of an attempt to obliterate and disappear and entire generation of people of this earth and the smugness with which it was carried out in plain sight. A journey of a boy through this forrest of pain, he sees paths meandering but he is lost!
A chronicled saga of Jude, from Obscurity to Plentitude

description

Music players the doctor and therapist in this story and this verse just fits so well here :
🎼Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
T'was blind but now I see🎼
"True. And. Dot-dot-dot. Who are you going to be now?"
Having endured mind altering bias and prejudices for his sexual orientation, this boy who is surrounded by unconditional love and acceptance, still carries deep emotional scars delivered ruthlessly by bigoted and dogmatic pseudo kings
The protagonist is a man of multiple identities and yet he's just an outline, a silhouette. Wandering aimlessly trying to find substance that will fill his heart & soul. he could be anyone or everyone from Croatia to Bosnia to Syria to Rohingya to Argentina or in this case, Chile
"I’m a Canadian citizen, a Chilean nationalist and a permanent resident of the United States. I am me. Juleón Tholet, son of Cleon Tholet and Penelope Cambie."
He has been robbed.
Broken
Stripped
Beaten
Abandoned..
And then walks in Tej -rhymes with page. He gatecrashes like an unexpected squatter and comes camps in Jude's life. He's a compatriot and a companion both. He understands and holds hands, he offers support and takes refuge in Jude's heart. They say strength lies in numbers and two hearts are better than one, especially when they both become therapy and medication for each other.
"That door stays open, you say whatever the hell you want, whenever you want."
The story turns around when Tej is introduced and suddenly the narrative becomes rosy, hopeful and the plot smiles. A chance test that they all take as a joke, topples over their family jenga tower.
The ruins unearth secrets, skeletons and identities tumble out, unleashing anger and frustration all around
The entire story is a reprimand, a lesson in history. It moved me deeply and unexpectedly. I've shed tears, I've had pain in my heart, I've wanted to pick up the baseball bats against the bullies and tortures.
As a citizen of this planet we are all responsible if we let atrocities be committed and bury our heads in sand.
We all should be ashamed of ourselves if we teach our kids intolerance & racist superiority.
We are all accountable if we let bigotry and homophobia run around unchecked.
I'm struggling to find a box to put this novel in. Is it a contemporary thriller, a dark historical account or a philosophical love story....or is it ALL INCLUSIVE
Whichever it is, it's profound, intelligent, essential, important and necessary story which should be on the top of your tbr!!
Of the characterization, it's weird that this book has many heroes. Nobody wears a cape but they are all saviors, Guardians and protectors.
Tej is smooth talking charmer who turns jude inside out and heals from within.
“I don’t just want to be your lover. I want to be your home. Your nine-one-one. I’m your call now. You make it and I will answer.”
Mirielle with Samson is all-encompassing and accepting, lending support & Laughter
Cleon is unchallenged as the head of the family, authoritative, dignified and protective.
“Everything happened so you could be my boy.” He ran his cheek along Jude’s hair.
“¿Somos compañeros?”
“Compañeros,” Jude whispered.
“Por siempre.”
Penny is uber courageous, soft hearted matriarch and her family's travails bleed her heart, their injuries- injurious to her.
"Her maternal instincts picked up a sword and tested its weight and edge. The She-Wolf’s eyes narrowed at an enemy not yet revealed, seeking justice for a wrong not done. Not yet."
This masterpiece has me babbling & rambling and I threaten to do so, till you pick up this book to read. While I go back to the start - The Exaltation of the Larks
10 stars for Lucy in the sky with Diamond

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Here I am again, at the end of another Suanne Laqueur novel and I still find myself lacking the ability to explain the ways in which she moves me. How do I articulate such splendor...such brilliance?

A Scarcity of Condors is another masterpiece by Suanne Laqueur. To read a book by her is an experience. I’m always smarter than when I started and forever changed by her words. With every story she tells I am more spellbound and enchanted by her. The eloquence of her writing, the precise development of her characters and her uncanny ability to harness such a pinpoint focus on actual events while building a fictional world around it is astounding. To take such simple words within the English language and construct them in the way that she does makes me marvel at her intelligence and reel in the magnificence of her craft.

There’s an enormous amount of love within these pages. Jude and his family are some of the very best characters I’ve read. I felt everything they endured, overcame and rose above; the atrocities, the heartache, the suffering...the fiercest bond and steadfast loyalty of their love made my heart swell. Moments of pure joy met with such anguish and yet the absolute perfect balance on the scales of life. I know some would characterize this novel as M/M and yet I find Suanne Laqueur to be genre-less. She’s a visionary, a storyteller from the soul. She writes love stories of the human spirit, not to be labeled or put in any categories...just to be who they are in all their magnificent glory.

Read it, embrace it and let it in!

“So let it out and let it in. Hey, Jude. Begin.”

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Laqueur held back no punches. Her masterfully-crafted third novel in the Venery world not only rendered us speechless, but also bought home the effect a regime’s unspeakable atrocities had on families. Even the most hardened reader will find passages emotionally stirring simply because this story of heartbreak and elation rang so true. An Exaltation of Larks and A Charm of Finches were both 5-star reads for us; A Scarcity of Condors is Laqueur at her very best. Historical accuracy and lifelike prose enhance her protagonists’ suffering, endurance and wisdom gained through perseverance. Also, the beginning of the story has a dramatic irony which consequently, had us rooting for all of them.

Although it’s unusual to see the passive voice in novels, the author’s usage of this grammatical structure in certain sentences is perfectly comprehensible. By doing it this way, she’d not only accentuated inhumane acts committed against those in her story, but the persecution of whole communities in Chile. We’re sure most facts are well-known to you, but here the author has simply underlined excruciatingly detailed barbarities to the point of causing distress. More important and to our minds of thinking, she’s effectively highlighted the after-effects of past and not so far-off crimes. While everyone affected was of utmost importance in the flow of the story, nothing seemed to wrench at our heartstrings more than what young Jude had endured in the hands of hatred. How he coped with the physical and physiological aftermath and how his parents survived to tell their tales was literally beyond us.

Adding to the story’s brilliance, another writing technique used was Cleón’s narrative in second-person. We saw what he’d suffered through his eyes, we lived his fears as if we were there and in effect, we became him. How he faced the future and turned out to be the most loving, tolerant and protective parent is nothing less than astounding. The majority of the book is in third-person from multiple points of view, so we got to learn each and everyone’s suffering, too.

The chapters are unconventional in the respect that they are named rather than numbered. Actually, this helped us catch the drift of the story when it lept back and forth. There is absolutely nothing convoluted. It is how it is. Tragic most times, delightful when small joys in their lives gave us readers a space to come up for air, making us smile from ear to ear.

Cleón, Penny, their two sons and only daughter, Jude, Serena and the youngest, Aiden, have a tight-knit relationship. Laqueur left no stone unturned and although Aiden is in the background doing his thing, we felt him. Before we even begin with Jude or his mother, Penny, Serena…wow, we’d at the very least love to have her as our bestie! Sharp-witted and totally protective of her brother, Jude, the banter between these two is adoringly quirky. And how could we leave out her quote which brightened up even the most worrying happenings? “Well, this is a revolting development.”

So now Penny. Mother hen, strong and genuine. A fighter who only backed down against her will when the tough became too much bear is her husband’s everything. She’s his light when there’s darkness and it’s reciprocated tenfold. Penny has enough sense to realise that a particular issue in her marriage is of no consequence. Her love is undying, and respect and friendship go without saying. Ooh, lord…their marriage felt so real, on the spot and in harmony that it’s quite honestly an experience listening in to their so put together and intelligent conversations.

Now Jude. How could we not fall head of heels for his gorgeousness, ladies? It’s not easy to describe such a beautiful soul as he. Gentile…without a doubt, confused and angry after discovering a truth no-one understands will be revealed—yeap, we’re not in the mood for letting on but floor us it did. He finds respite. A thrilling dialogue kicks in when Jude meets his match. And what a match it is! Laugh we did when trying to pronounce Tej’s name. Tej as in page was quite the tongue-twister for us! The feels, them being on the same wavelength literally bowled us over.

Does Feño have to be mentioned in this saga? We thought not at the time of writing this review; however, in retrospect, we changed our minds. Should a young and innocent love humiliate a whole family? Judge, we did. Disgusted, we were. Feño’s mother’s a shell of a woman with reason. Absorb this poor woman’s history and you’ll see where we’re going. You’ll see that justice done for the likes of those afflicted isn’t at all satisfying for others. It’s terribly wrong. The wrongdoings on behalf of one leader, one so-called government which caused such despair has no pardon.

Let’s sum up! A Scarcity of Condors is a cruel, harsh and devastatingly beautiful novel. It has to be read. Love outweighs hardship. The meaning of family ties is irrevocably the answer to happiness not easy to reach if there’s discordance which, fortunately, there wasn’t. Bravo Laqueur for bringing us hours of reading enjoyment; for your uniquely powerful storytelling! To readers of our review. We do hope we didn’t bore the socks off you, but we’ve spoken from the bottom of our hearts.

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Jude Tholet always felt a little out of place. It began in high school when he fell in love with his best friend and deepened when his life and his body were shattered by unspeakable violence.

He could always find sanctuary in the midst of his family. It was here that he could always find unconditional love. His parents made sure of it.
But Jude and his father forged a special bond – the kind that only those who had experienced the horrors of humanity can have. And when a DNA test drops an unexpected bomb, he’s once again set adrift with no salvation in sight.

Until he is thrown a lifeline by a stranger who is as brash as he is beautiful…

They stared. The shared gaze immutable while beneath, each mouth rolled over and around and through a smile.
“See, this is where you invite me to sit down,” Tej finally said.
“You want to sit down?”
“No, I just wanted you to ask.”
“I think I like you better with my dick in your mouth. You’re less of a smartass.”
Tej blushed. He actually fucking blushed. “Now I will sit down.”
Jude’s eyes slid appreciatively against the grey sweater over a collar and tie. “You scrub up nice.”
“I’m commando.”
“Thanks for the visual.”
“You’re welcome.” He turned the book toward him to see the title. “Well, this must be an uplifting read.”
Jude turned it back. “Yeah. I mean, no. It’s for… Nothing, never mind.” “Sounds engrossing.” He took a chip off Jude’s plate. “You do remember my name?”
“Tej. Rhymes with page. Do you remember mine?”
“Jude. Rhymes with one of the best fucks I ever had in my life.”

Tej Khoury knows a little about being displaced himself. He escaped a civil war in Lebanon with his family only to be rejected by them as a teenager for his sexuality.

It taught him self-reliance and it taught him to go for what he wants. And what he wants most of all is Jude. Being with him comes with a freedom that he’s never known before. He recognizes a kindred desire, a shared strength and the storm rages just under the surface.

Together, they will try to heal the wounds of the past and finally learn to fly…

“These are my memories. They’re my stories.”
“They’ll always be your stories,” Tej said. “These will always be your people. This is your family and family is so much more than blood.”

There is no one that can write with more feeling than Suanne Laqueur! With A Scarcity of Condors, she draws you into a world of both extraordinary beauty and terrifying pain. What her characters have to endure will most certainly take your breath away. But their bravery is a living breathing thing that demands that you keep turning the pages.

The story is flawless, the pace is perfect, and the emotions are intense.
And in the end, it’s a stunning testament to the power of the human spirit…

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This author really knows how to tear your heart to pieces and sew it back together - and somehow make it bigger and stronger than ever. This book wrecked me. Completely. Utterly. With grace and humility, this story reminds us that no one is defined by a single attribute or moment; we are all a sum of our parts, individually, as a family, as a society. Characters and storylines from the first two books in the series are expertly woven into this installment and result in a story that is downright breathtaking. The attention to detail is intricate without being heavy and overall makes for a fascinating read. Much love and thanks to the author for yet another riveting story.

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Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse and Rachel at KFF

Laqueur held back no punches. Her masterfully-crafted third novel in the Venery world not only rendered us speechless, but also bought home the effect a regime’s unspeakable atrocities had on families. Even the most hardened reader will find passages emotionally stirring simply because this story of heartbreak and elation rang so true. An Exaltation of Larks and A Charm of Finches were both 5-star reads for us; A Scarcity of Condors is Laqueur at her very best. Historical accuracy and lifelike prose enhance her protagonists’ suffering, endurance and wisdom gained through perseverance. Also, the beginning of the story has a dramatic irony which consequently, had us rooting for all of them.

Although it’s unusual to see the passive voice in novels, the author’s usage of this grammatical structure in certain sentences is perfectly comprehensible. By doing it this way, she’d not only accentuated inhumane acts committed against those in her story, but the persecution of whole communities in Chile. We’re sure most facts are well-known to you, but here the author has simply underlined excruciatingly detailed barbarities to the point of causing distress. More important and to our minds of thinking, she’s effectively highlighted the after-effects of past and not so far-off crimes. While everyone affected was of utmost importance in the flow of the story, nothing seemed to wrench at our heartstrings more than what young Jude had endured in the hands of hatred. How he coped with the physical and physiological aftermath and how his parents survived to tell their tales was literally beyond us.

Adding to the story’s brilliance, another writing technique used was Cleón’s narrative in second-person. We saw what he’d suffered through his eyes, we lived his fears as if we were there and in effect, we became him. How he faced the future and turned out to be the most loving, tolerant and protective parent is nothing less than astounding. The majority of the book is in third-person from multiple points of view, so we got to learn each and everyone’s suffering, too.

The chapters are unconventional in the respect that they are named rather than numbered. Actually, this helped us catch the drift of the story when it lept back and forth. There is absolutely nothing convoluted. It is how it is. Tragic most times, delightful when small joys in their lives gave us readers a space to come up for air, making us smile from ear to ear.

Cleón, Penny, their two sons and only daughter, Jude, Serena and the youngest, Aiden, have a tight-knit relationship. Laqueur left no stone unturned and although Aiden is in the background doing his thing, we felt him. Before we even begin with Jude or his mother, Penny, Serena…wow, we’d at the very least love to have her as our bestie! Sharp-witted and totally protective of her brother, Jude, the banter between these two is adoringly quirky. And how could we leave out her quote which brightened up even the most worrying happenings? “Well, this is a revolting development.”

So now Penny. Mother hen, strong and genuine. A fighter who only backed down against her will when the tough became too much bear is her husband’s everything. She’s his light when there’s darkness and it’s reciprocated tenfold. Penny has enough sense to realise that a particular issue in her marriage is of no consequence. Her love is undying, and respect and friendship go without saying. Ooh, lord…their marriage felt so real, on the spot and in harmony that it’s quite honestly an experience listening in to their so put together and intelligent conversations.

Now Jude. How could we not fall head of heels for his gorgeousness, ladies? It’s not easy to describe such a beautiful soul as he. Gentile…without a doubt, confused and angry after discovering a truth no-one understands will be revealed—yeap, we’re not in the mood for letting on but floor us it did. He finds respite. A thrilling dialogue kicks in when Jude meets his match. And what a match it is! Laugh we did when trying to pronounce Tej’s name. Tej as in page was quite the tongue-twister for us! The feels, them being on the same wavelength literally bowled us over.

Does Feño have to be mentioned in this saga? We thought not at the time of writing this review; however, in retrospect, we changed our minds. Should a young and innocent love humiliate a whole family? Judge, we did. Disgusted, we were. Feño’s mother’s a shell of a woman with reason. Absorb this poor woman’s history and you’ll see where we’re going. You’ll see that justice done for the likes of those afflicted isn’t at all satisfying for others. It’s terribly wrong. The wrongdoings on behalf of one leader, one so-called government which caused such despair has no pardon.

Let’s sum up! A Scarcity of Condors is a cruel, harsh and devastatingly beautiful novel. It has to be read. Love outweighs hardship. The meaning of family ties is irrevocably the answer to happiness not easy to reach if there’s discordance which, fortunately, there wasn’t. Bravo Laqueur for bringing us hours of reading enjoyment; for your uniquely powerful storytelling! To readers of our review. We do hope we didn’t bore the socks off you, but we’ve spoken from the bottom of our hearts.

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5 "And who are you going to be?" stars

After finishing this book, I want to put on my Hulk hands and go stomping through all of the whole entire Readerverse bellowing "Lisa love book. Everyone read words!!"

As I flipped the last page and read every entire scrap I could, including the Acknowledgements and recipes (squeeeee - there are RECIPES!!!!), I suddenly felt bereft . Now what do I do? Because I sure wasn't ready to let these people go!!

Ahhh, Suanne. You own me. Your words crawl deep inside and nourish my soul. With every book of yours I finish, I think "This is it. This is what writing should be. This is what reading should be." You just get it! You cut through all the BS and get to the heart of each and every one of your characters. But that's just it - they aren't just characters. They are friends and family. They are your parents, your children, your neighbors, your best friends, your most loathsome enemies, your community...and they are you. Suanne writes with so much depth and honesty, exposing truth, examining motivation, and bravely uncovering frailties. Every time I crack open a new story, I simply hang on tight because I'm going to be taken places and shown things that are often hard to see, but that make me reflect and consider and learn and weep with raw emotion. Ohhhh, and the crying I did here. Every kind of tear - joy, grief, sadness, frustration with so much intolerance and hate, laughter, despair, overwhelming love.

This story has so many underlying themes, but the greatest I took away is that we are not defined by our past or our mistakes. Life can be a complete sh*t show. We all deal with things no one else can even imagine. What defines us is who we surround ourselves with and how we choose to react. Whether we choose to rise or lie in a heap, cursing our fate. Ultimately, it's the answer to "Okay, so that happened. Who are you going to be now?

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Taking authentic historical events such as Pinochet and Operation Condor and building a story around it is not an easy task. As with the other two books in the Venery series I can honestly say that Suanne Laqueur has created yet another phenomenal book.
A Scarcity of Condors doesn’t hold back but goes all in. My emotions was a punching bag. I felt it ALL! I lived and breathed for these characters. For Jude and his family.

What happens when you’re not who you think you are? Jude discovers his parents are not his biological mother and father. Then weave in the horrific events under Pinochet’s reign and a man discovering and finding biological heritage. A tour de force on my emotions.
To me A Scarcity of Condors is first and foremost a love story. Between lovers. New and old and of course the love of a strong family. The Tholet family is LOVE. Screw what DNA and blood says.
This family has been through hate, torture, losses and still they love and forgive.

A Scarcity of Condors isn’t just the journey of Jude but also of his parents Penny and Cléon.
It’s part of the Venery series and can be read as a stand-alone but I strongly recommend to read the other books. They are just as brilliant and for me I found little treats in each of them including in A Scarcity of Condors.
To end this review I’ll answer a question the author asks in her acknowledgments. Yes, you got it right! Epically so.

5+ This is Our Family Stars

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One of the best books I have ever read. As a Chilean woman, this book hit in a very special way, very deep in my soul. I was born after the dictatorship, In a Chile in democracy (I’m part of the next generation) but I did inherit the stories of my parents and grandparents about what happened in those horrible years. I was afraid to go into this book and find a misrepresentation of this delicate period in the history of Chile ... and what a delight it was to find a book that addresses this in such an elegant and beautifully written way.

I cried more than once, I identified with that weight of being the heir to the fears of a generation that lived the worst of humanity. Jude is a beautiful, unique and amazing man who represents dozens of real people who were exiled with their families, leaving everything behind.

It’s a book about a generation that lives with the past in the present, always looking back but equally forced to look forward. And in a place where hope seems lost, family was one of the few pillars that kept many Chileans alive during the dictatorship.

Beautifully written, a book about family, strength, love, second chancescc and hope for a better tomorrow. I recommend this book from here to eternity, a masterpiece that you will not want to miss.

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