Human Sacrifices

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By María Fernanda Ampuero & Frances Riddle

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Publisher Description

A groundbreaking voice in contemporary Latin American literature, María Fernanda Ampuero’s writing is “raw and savage” as she confronts machismo, inequity, and violence in this acclaimed short story collection (Vistazo).

An undocumented woman answers a job posting only to find herself held hostage, a group of outcasts obsess over boys drowned while surfing, and an unhappy couple finds themselves trapped in a terrifying maze. With scalpel-like precision, Ampuero considers the price paid by those on the margins so that the elite might lounge comfortably, considering themselves safe in their homes.

Simultaneously terrifying and exquisite, Human Sacrifices is “tropical gothic” at its finest—decay and oppression underlie our humid and hostile world, where working-class women and children are consistently the weakest links in a capitalist economy. Against this backdrop of corrosion and rot, these twelve stories contemplate the nature of exploitation and abuse, illuminating the realities of those society consumes for its own pitiless ends.

157 Reviews

4.0

Onebookatatime 📚

Created 8 days ago

“Originally written in Spanish, Frances Riddle translated my copy, and let me tell you, this is one of those books (short story collections) that is also very hard to get through because of content matter. This was recommended to me and described as “stellar,” yet this is far from stellar but more in the realm of incredibly unsettling and terrifying, at least to me. This is beautifully written, and the first two stories made me feel so uncomfortable, and I had to take breaks with this short collection overall. The subject matter overall is about women who are marginalized within society and struggle to understand growing up and becoming women. Most of the characters are nameless, which makes the sexual assault parts seem even more horrifying and tragic without even knowing these poor women’s names. Alarming and sad was this one, and I will say this is not for everyone and can be very triggering. When I say my “favorites,” I mean it in the way of admiration for the writing, and I was affected by each story in this small collection. The ones that stood out and took my breath as I finished were Biography, Believers, Sister, Invaders, Sacrifices, Edith, and Freaks. All got to me and made my mind enter into very distraught thought processes and paranoia in a way. Some of these stories dive into pedophilia and some incest parts as well, but be wary of its content and know it’s not a quick read that does not hold back. This was my last book in February, which deeply affected my thoughts. I want to give a heartfelt apology to all those struggling with anything, to take a deep breath and enjoy the good and subtract the bad a day at a time. Here’s another example of horror doing its job and scaring the crap out of me because, sadly, this collection seems to be nonfictional throughout cause of how María Fernanda Ampuero’s writing is surrounded by reality and is written so raw and hurts to read at points. I can’t use the word enough; it is one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. I will say that this was bleakly eye-opening, and for that, I will never forget this book. “I dreamed that a turkey had gotten into my daughter's room and was pecking at the soft spot on her head. I immediately understood that the turkey was a demon and that demons feed on the pure thoughts of infants. I wanted to scream, but I didn't have a mouth. The screams echoed through my brain, everything inside shaking like a maraca, making my heart swell until I couldn't breathe.” María Fernanda Ampuero”

Memorable Atmospheric Bleak Dark Surreal Vivid descriptions Beautifully-written Abuse Child abuse Death Domestic violence Grief Misogyny Murder Racism Sexual assault Substance abuse Violence

lizzy

Created 30 days ago

Crystal Contreras

Created about 1 month ago

Memorable Original Original Abuse Child abuse Domestic violence Misogyny Racism Sexual assault Violence

mstreetcharlie

Created about 2 months ago

Eryn Reads Everything

Created 2 months ago

About María Fernanda Ampuero

María Fernanda Ampuero is a writer and a journalist, born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 1976. She has been published in newspapers and magazines around the world, and is the author of the journalistic narrative nonfiction titles Lo que aprendí en la peluquería and Permiso de residencia. She is also author of the short story collection Cockfight, which has been translated into several languages, and recipient of the Cosecha Eñe Award for Short Stories. In 2012 she was selected as one of the 100 Most Influential Latin Americans in Spain, and in 2018, she won the first Mad Women Fest Short Story Prize.

Frances Riddle has translated numerous Spanish-language authors including Isabel Allende, Claudia Piñeiro, Leila Guerriero, and Sara Gallardo. Her translation of Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022 and her translation of Theatre of War by Andrea Jeftanovic was awarded an English PEN grant in 2021. Her work has appeared in journals such as Granta, Electric Literature, and the White Review, among others. She holds a BA in Spanish Language from Louisiana State University and an MA in Translation Studies from the University of Buenos Aires. Originally from Houston, she now lives in Buenos Aires.