Mariano, who has lived in the city from an early
age, is summoned back to his village to attend his
grandfather's funeral. But when he arrives, he discovers
two things: firstly, that he has been nominated by his
grandfather to take over the running of the family
affairs, secondly that his grandfather has not died
completely, but is in that frontier space between life
and death. In traditional belief, he has died 'badly',
and something must happen in order for him to be laid to
rest. Mariano starts to receive letters supposedly
written by his grandfather, telling him about the
family. It is through this strange relationship that he
discovers the secret of his own birth, while also
cleansing his grandfather's conscience. The novel
contains a blend of picturesque and sometimes comic
characters and situations.
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