Review: It Would Be Night in Caracas

by Karina Sainz Borgo (Harper Via, 2019)

Karina Sainz Borgo's debut novel, translated from the Spanish by Elizabeth Bryer, sketches a vivid portrait of present-day Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. The story follows protagonist Adelaida Falcón, 38, as she grieves her mother's recent death from cancer and contends with Caracas's social upheaval. The city, like the rest of Venezuela, is rocked by protest and political instability since the death of former President Hugo Chavez in 2013 and subsequent collapse of the economy. Sainz Borgo's clear, poetic prose and richly textured account of Venezuelan history deliver a remarkable panorama of a country, a city, and a community on the verge of violent changes. At the novel's start, civil unrest and violence on the streets have effectively trapped Adelaida in her apartment building, where several tough choices and unexpected plot twists propel her forward. A provocative choice for book groups, with many themes for discussion.

Adelaida is at risk in the way that everyone in the city is at risk, but she also has specific challenges. The cost to bury her mother is outrageously expensive, as is medical care—even antibiotics carry a hefty price. Since the economy is disrupted on every level, her livelihood as a journalist and editor also has been threatened. Her usual media outlets are either too dangerous to work with or cannot pay as usual. Worse yet, her former lover, a press photographer, has been killed by Colombian guerrillas. Read my full review on BookBrowse.