The Memory Stones

The compelling story of a young woman’s disappearance in 1970s Argentina, a story of family tragedy—and national tragedy—with consequences echoing through generations.

Buenos Aires, 1976. In the heat of summer, the Ferrero family escapes to the lush expanse of Tigre. Osvaldo, a distinguished middle-aged doctor, and his wife, Yolanda, gather with their daughters, sensible Julieta, who lives with her husband in Miami, and willful Graciela—nineteen, radiant, and madly in love with her fiancé, José. It will be the last time they are all together.

On their return, the military junta stages a coup, and Osvaldo is forced to flee to Europe as friends and colleagues disappear overnight. When José is abducted, Graciela goes into hiding; when she and her friends are dragged from an apartment by plainclothes policemen, the devastating reality of the junta is no longer remote. Osvaldo can only witness the disintegration of his family from afar, while Yolanda fights on the ground to find and reclaim their beloved daughter. Soon they realize they may be fighting for an unknown grandchild as well.

Following one family seeking to rebuild itself after unimaginable loss, The Memory Stones is the story—both heartbreaking and inspiring—of a country striving to survive even in the face of terror.

Caroline Brothers was born in Australia. She has a Ph.D. in history from University College London and has worked as a foreign correspondent in Europe and Latin America and as a journalist at the International New York Times. She is the author of War and Photography and the novel Hinterland. She divides her time between London and Paris.