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Claudia Ermey

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THE CONFESSIONAL

BY Claudia Ermey • POSTED ON June 14, 2021

In Ermey’s historical novel, an Argentinian couple flee the horrors of Argentina’s Dirty War and the ensuing aftermath for the relative safety of Northern California.

Alberto and Mirta DeSalvo are living the life they always dreamed of in their hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. They own their wonderful home, where they entertain friends with barbecues and where they raised their daughter, Teresa. Despite marrying at only 17 years old and having Teresa not long after, Mirta has managed to raise a wonderful daughter and carve out her own niche in the city. One day in 1976, as the DeSalvos are hosting friends and neighbors, Teresa and her boyfriend, Ernesto, arrive with a surprise: In a simple City Hall ceremony, Ernesto and Teresa have just been married. The DeSalvos are upset over missing the wedding, of course, but their concerns go deeper than that—Ernesto, they know, is a subversive element opposing the new Argentinian regime, and the parents fear their daughter and granddaughter are in a dangerous position because of his politics. Shortly thereafter, their worst fears come true as the Argentinian military breaks into their home in the dark of night and violently apprehends not only Ernesto but Teresa and their baby Cristina as well. Left gutted and without answers, Mirta joins a group for wives and mothers of “disappeared” relatives (publicly, they claim to be a knitting circle) and quickly makes the mistake of talking to strangers planted as double agents in the vicinity. Mirta is soon arrested and detained; she is tortured mercilessly, barely surviving long enough to be rescued at the last moment by Alberto. With nothing left for them in Argentina, the two emigrate to the United States aided by a fabulously wealthy American connection, Julia. Despite the fact they were an established middle-class couple in Buenos Aires, they’re left with no option but to become “caretakers” for Julia in California. As they work to construct their new lives, Julia comes to them with a massive request: She wants them to adopt her infant daughter. Indebted to Julia to the hilt, the DeSalvos quickly assent, and though Alberto considers the child “a blessing to their lives, an opportunity to build a family once more,” Mirta isn’t so sure. She can’t forget her daughter and granddaughter—who may still be alive—or the torture she endured so easily.

Ermey’s debut novel is thoroughly well-researched; such is readily apparent in the moving but difficult-to-read scenes of Mirta’s torture. The trauma—which sends Mirta inward and which forces Alberto to compartmentalize for each of them to cope—feels tragically lived-in and true. As Mirta keeps the flame of hope alive, she promises herself to “savor her memories, unpack them one by one. Only one memory a day until she found her granddaughter and was able to create more”; readers will find themselves guarding that flame for her, too, hoping to see Cristina again. In prose that may not leap off the page but which is smooth enough to prevent distraction, Ermey carries the reader through a moving tale of loss, loyalty, and rebirth.

A gripping story of Argentinian refugees piecing their lives back together after escaping to the United States.

Pub Date: June 14, 2021

ISBN: 9798520716747

Page count: 368pp

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: July 18, 2024

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