The stories provide a humorous spin on universal themes of human frailty and desire, while taking on some difficult and complex issues, including misogynistic violence, the exploitation and appropriation of natural resources, violence against indigenous groups, religious tensions, political corruption, and the steady flow of illicit drugs. Alemâan teases tropes of hardboiled detective fiction, satire, and adventure narratives to recast the discussion of historical forces and national identity. A muddy brew of pop-culture and pop-folklore yields intriguing, lesser-known episodes of contemporary Ecuadorian history, along with a rich cast of unforgettable minor characters whose intimate stories open up onto a vista of Ecuador's place on the world stage, now and all along the way. In this collection of eight hugely entertaining short stories, she dives deep into the tales that Ecuadorian's like to tell about themselves, following the foundational creation myths of that small South American nation all the way to their logical and sometimes ignominious ends. Alemâan is known for her spirited and sardonic take on the fatefully interconnected-and often highly compromised-forces at work in present-day South America, and particularly in Ecuador.

About the Book 'Family Album is Ecuadorian author Gabriela Alemâan's rollicking follow up to her acclaimed English-language debut, Poso Wells.

Álbum de familia by Gabriela Alemán