On a Night of a Thousand Stars, Andrea Yaryura Clark
On a Night of a Thousand Stars, Andrea Yaryura Clark
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On a Night of a Thousand Stars

Author: Andrea Yaryura Clark

Narrator: Paula Christensen

Unabridged: 11 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/01/2022


Synopsis

In this moving, emotional narrative of love and resilience, a young couple confronts the start of Argentina's Dirty War in the 1970s, and a daughter searches for truth twenty years later.

New York, 1998. Santiago Larrea, a wealthy Argentine diplomat, is holding court alongside his wife, Lila, and their daughter, Paloma, a college student and budding jewelry designer, at their annual summer polo match and soiree. All seems perfect in the Larreas’ world—until an unexpected party guest from Santiago's university days shakes his usually unflappable demeanor. The woman's cryptic comments spark Paloma’s curiosity about her father’s past, of which she knows little.
 
When the family travels to Buenos Aires for Santiago's UN ambassadorial appointment, Paloma is determined to learn more about his life in the years leading up to the military dictatorship of 1976. With the help of a local university student, Franco Bonetti, an activist member of H.I.J.O.S.—a group whose members are the children of the desaparecidos, or the “disappeared,” men and women who were forcibly disappeared by the state during Argentina’s “Dirty War”—Paloma unleashes a chain of events that not only leads her to question her family and her identity, but also puts her life in danger.

In compelling fashion, On a Night of a Thousand Stars speaks to relationships, morality, and identity during a brutal period in Argentinian history, and the understanding—and redemption—people crave in the face of tragedy.

Reviews

Goodreads review by jessica on April 21, 2022

really fascinating story due to the fact i have never heard of argentinas ‘desaparecidos’ before - such a sad moment in history. however, the writing is so emotionally stunted and stale that i never really felt anything beyond mild attentiveness the entire time reading this. i also found myself enjo......more

Goodreads review by Canadian Jen on April 26, 2022

I’m always a sucker for a South American story and a good cover. Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1998. Paloma is determined to find out about her father’s life and his role during the Dirty War in the 70’s. The story flips from her current life to what she discovers of his earlier one. What she uncovers tell......more

Goodreads review by Annette on May 02, 2022

NYC, 1998. Palomita’s family is from Argentina. She doesn’t know about her parents lives during the dictatorship. And at a recent event, a friend of her father’s mentions something that makes her join her parents, when asked to go to their ranch in Argentina for a couple weeks. There, she makes her......more

Goodreads review by Katie on February 27, 2022

This historical fiction novel delves into Argentina's Dirty War which took place in the 1970s and early 1980s. I didn't know too much about the history of the country so the book was an interesting read for me. I thought the dual timelines was an effective way to tell the story. I found it disappoin......more

Goodreads review by Constantine on February 15, 2022

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Genre: Historical Fiction Paloma is a college student in the US. Her father is a rich Argentinian diplomat. She becomes curious about her mother country and the status of her father back in the 1970s. When the family travels to Argentina she meets Franco there and with his help she decides......more


Quotes

"With suspense and heartbreak, Andrea Yaryura Clark’s debut novel explores the human toll of Argentina’s Dirty War, whose atrocities can still upend the most cloistered and prosperous lives. On a Night of a Thousand Stars turns one woman’s genealogical quest into a searing indictment of the complicity inherent in cultural silence."—Jennifer Egan, New York Times bestselling author of Manhattan Beach

"This novel sheds light on a dark chapter in Argentina's history, the effects of the country's worst dictatorship, and the consequences for those left behind and those who survived."—Greer Hendricks, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Wife Between Us

"A powerful debut about a chapter in history that must be told."—Janice Y.K. Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Expatriates and The Piano Teacher

"In luminescent prose and exquisite detail, Andrea Yaryura Clark chronicles a family's history through the political turmoil of Argentina's Dirty War and beyond. Both heart-rending and hopeful, On a Night of a Thousand Stars explores the strength and endurance of love and familial bonds in the face of chaos and tragedy. A deeply moving, timely and important debut."—Cristina Alger, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us

"Andrea Yaryura Clark’s deep understanding of the complexity and savagery of Argentine history brings an authority to this gripping novel, a chilling reminder of the precariousness of human rights and the extraordinary bravery of those fighting to preserve freedom for all."—Lisa Gornick, Author of The Peacock Feast

"In Andrea Clark’s debut novel, she has accomplished the remarkable feat of rendering the political and the human story, telling a painful narrative of lives lost, Argentinian history, and the family. Brava and welcome.”—Roxana Robinson, Author of Dawson's Fall

"Vividly rendered . . . Both heartbreaking and race-to-the-end suspenseful."—Library Journal