Elena Knows
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Elena Knows
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Narrated by:
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Sally Masterson
About this listen
SHORTLISTED for the International Booker Prize 2022
After Rita is found dead in a church she used to attend, the official investigation into the incident is quickly closed. Her sickly mother is the only person still determined to find the culprit. Chronicling a difficult journey across the suburbs of the city, an old debt and a revealing conversation, Elena Knows unravels the secrets of its characters and the hidden facets of authoritarianism and hypocrisy in our society.
©2021 Claudia Piñeiro and Frances Riddle (P)2023 Charco PressListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
International Booker Prize (Shortlist)
Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award—Fiction (Shortlist)
LiBeraturpreis (Winner)
"Short and stylish…a piercing commentary on mother-daughter relationships, the indignity of bureaucracy, the burdens of caregiving and the impositions of religious dogma on women."—New York Times
"A lyrical portrait of a woman unable to grieve...incisive commentary on Catholic society’s control of women’s bodies."—Publishers Weekly
"Its true brilliance, though, is in how it flips Elena’s insular daily reality into a much broader commentary on how the hypocrisy of Catholic society manifests in the lives and judgments of ordinary people. A highly accomplished and original novel, translated with great sensitivity to tone and atmosphere by Frances Riddle."—Irish Times
What listeners say about Elena Knows
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mirf
- 24-11-24
Interesting illustration of Parkinson's & more
An engaging listen following Elena, whose day is timed around her Parkinson's pills, setting out on a quest. The two main characters, especially Rita, are quite cranky and cantankerous and not afraid to lock horns with the people in their lives. The effect is direct, at times amusing, at times poignant, and the author never shies away from detailing the grim daily realities of Elena's deteriorating health. Piñeiro also explores motherhood, bodily autonomy, caregiving, mortality, the church, hypocrisy, ableism and ageism, as well as an unusual portrayal of grief. The 'Elena knows' motif, repeated throughout the book, works well, I thought, and I have to say I really appreciate a well-crafted short book. For me, the book's real power, though, was in the character dynamics – masterfully drawn.
V minor: I didn't get the point of the Afterword, telling us how good the book is and reiterating everything you already know since you've just read it! (Also, the line about babies being white and soft needs fixed – an editorial oversight, I assume.)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 12-10-23
Bizarre madness
Rita and Elena are two f**ked up individuals. We meet a hilarious cast of characters along the way of a mother’s investigation into her daughters death. This book will make you laugh (chapter 15 Passage of everything the daughter does for her mother made me cry with laughter). I really enjoyed this. The narrator not so much.
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