{"title":"Sara Mesa","description":"\u003cp\u003eSara Mesa is a compelling voice in contemporary Spanish literature, known for her unique storytelling and intricate narratives. Her works often dive deep into the complexities of human relationships and societal norms, making her a thought-provoking author for readers who appreciate literary fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eAmong the Hedges\u003c\/em\u003e, Mesa explores the themes of innocence and corruption through the meeting of a teenage girl and a mysterious older man, set amidst their secretive conversations. \u003cem\u003eBad Handwriting\u003c\/em\u003e offers a collection of short stories that reveal the subtle yet profound oddities of everyday life, crafted with precise and evocative language.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFour by Four\u003c\/em\u003e is a haunting tale set in a seemingly idyllic boarding school that, beneath its polished exterior, harbours disturbing secrets and social hierarchies. Finally, \u003cem\u003eUn amor\u003c\/em\u003e delves into the conflicts and unexpected alliances that form when a woman relocates to a rural village, confronting isolation and longing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSara Mesa's works are a treat for readers who enjoy diving into psychologically complex and socially conscious narratives, all crafted with her signature nuance and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"bad-handwriting-by-sara-mesa-9781948830553","title":"Bad Handwriting","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the author of the highly acclaimed \u003ci\u003eFour by Four\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAmong the Hedges\u003c\/i\u003e comes a collection of unsettling, captivating stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe eleven stories in this collection approach themes of childhood and adolescence, guilt and redemption, power and freedom. There are children who resist authority and experience the process of growing up with shock and loneliness; alienated young girls whose rebellion lies under the surface—subterranean, furious, and impotent; people who are tormented—or not—by regret and doubt, addicted to feelings of culpability; men who take advantage of women and adults who exercise power over children with a disturbing degree of control; kids abandoned by their parents; the suicide of the elderly and the young; lives that hide crimes—both real and imagined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEschewing cosmopolitanism in favour of the micro-world of her characters, Mesa depicts a reality that is messy and disturbing, on even the smallest scale of an individual life, a single family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46710919987436,"sku":"9781948830553","price":46.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23944543482881.jpg?v=1754166887"},{"product_id":"four-by-four-by-sara-mesa-9781948830140","title":"Four by Four","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet entirely at Wybrany College—an institution where the wealthy keep their children safe from the chaos erupting in the cities—\u003cem\u003eFour by Four\u003c\/em\u003e is a novel of insinuation and gossip, in which the truth about Wybrany's 'program' is always palpable, but never explicit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn exploration of the relationship between the powerful and powerless—and the repetition of these patterns—Mesa's 'sophisticated nightmare' calls to mind great works of gothic literature, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, and social thrillers. This creates a unique, unsettling view of freedom and demonstrates how a fear of the outside world can create monsters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46711573151980,"sku":"9781948830140","price":46.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23940413482881.jpg?v=1754228594"},{"product_id":"un-amor-by-sara-mesa-9781948830775","title":"Un amor","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSubtly in the vein of \u003ci\u003eDogville\u003c\/i\u003e or Coetzee's \u003ci\u003eDisgrace\u003c\/i\u003e, and invoking the works of Agota Kristof, \u003ci\u003eUn Amor\u003c\/i\u003e probes ideas of language, alienation, and community through the eyes of a woman who, when brought into conflict, finds herself on the potential brink of deeper awareness of herself and her place in the world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the heels of a cryptic mistake, Nat arrives in La Escapa, an arid rural village in Spain's interior. She settles into a small, shabby house with cheap rent to begin work on her first literary translation, with a skittish and ill-tempered dog—a gift from the boorish landlord—her only company.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBurdened with assumptions about country life, Nat will enter into relationships with the handful of local inhabitants. These include her negligent landlord, Pter the hippie, the dementia-afflicted Roberta, the young city family who comes on weekends, and the unsociable man they call \"The German\"—from whom she appears to receive a customary welcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMutual misunderstanding and a persistent sense of alienation, however, thrum below the surface. When conflicts arise over repairs to the house, Nat receives an offer and makes a crucial decision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn prose as taut and oppressive as the atmosphere in La Escapa, \u003ci\u003eUn Amor\u003c\/i\u003e extends Mesa's exploration of language and power, confronting readers with the limits of their own morality as tensions mount and the community's most unexpected impulses emerge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46846897029356,"sku":"9781948830775","price":48.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23946763482881.jpg?v=1758927491"},{"product_id":"among-the-hedges-by-sara-mesa-9781948830393","title":"Among the Hedges","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAmong the Hedges\u003c\/em\u003e by Sara Mesa follows the story of Casi, an almost fourteen-year-old who has been skipping school. She spends her days hidden among the hedges in a local park, listening to music and reading women's magazines. One day, she is discovered by Viejo, a fifty-year-old man. Despite their age gap, the two strike up a friendship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eViejo shares his knowledge of birds and Nina Simone with Casi and treats her to soda and chips, spending almost every day in conversation with her. Casi perceives Viejo as childlike, distinguishing him from the \"dangerous\" men she has encountered before. However, Viejo harbours secrets from his past, secrets that would alarm Casi's parents or any adult observing their meetings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs these secrets start to surface, time is running out; the weather grows cold, and Casi's school begins to unravel her web of lies, leading to an inevitable turning point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSara Mesa uses spare, direct prose to breathe warmth into these two outcasts, provoking reflections on society's prejudices and assumptions. With this, she crafts a deeply moving narrative centred on an \"inappropriate\" relationship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46997893087468,"sku":"9781948830393","price":44.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23942943482881.jpg?v=1763196913"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/sara-mesa.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}