The Invisible Mountain-Carolina De Robertis

The Invisible Mountain
Carolina De Robertis
Knopf, Aug 25 2009, $24.95
ISBN: 9780307271631

“Pajarita”. In Tacuaremb, Uruguay on Jan. 1, 1900, a baby miraculously flies from the treetops to her grandmother; her name is Pajarita, the little bird. Years after the miracle, Venetian immigrant Ignazio Firielli joins a touring troupe of magicians. When he meets Pajarita, he falls in love at first sight. They marry and he takes his bride to Montevideo. However, over the years he turns to whores, gambling and drinking while she supports the family with her healing herbal elixirs.

“Eva” When their oldest daughter Eva turns ten, Ignazio removes her from school to work at the shoe shop; the owner assumes part of her duty is being raped until she flees to La Diablita restaurant where revolutionaries plot the overthrow of the decadent. Eva waits tables while writing poetry until she relocates with her friend Andres in Buenos Aires. There she marries Dr. Santos, a close associate of Peron. Eva gives birth to Roberto and Salome while writing poetry. When Argentina turns dangerously revolutionary and counter-revolutionary, she flees with her two kids back to Uruguay.

“Salome”. Whereas Salome heeds her mom’s revolutionary fervor, she also ignores her mom’s enjoyment of the good life. She joins the Tupamaros revolutionaries who try to overthrow the Uruguayan dictatorship, but fail. Salome and others are incarcerated and tortured with no hope for the future until after years of imprisonment she is freed and Montevideo is not the same as her memories.

Using three generations of females in a family, Carolina De Robertis tells a great tale of the twentieth century history of Uruguay and to a lesser degree Argentina. The story line employs pathos and humor to relate the cultural and political changes that swept across Uruguay. The three women are terrific unique protagonists who hold their part of the tres tales together as each in their way believes in a better life for herself, her loved ones, and her country. This historical fiction will be on the short lists of best historical novel of the year.

Harriet Klausner