In seven interconnected short stories, the Guatemalan countryside is ever-present: a place of timeless peace, and the site of sudden violence. Don Henrik, a good man struck time and again by misfortune, confronts the crude realities of farming life, family obligation, and the intrusions of merciless entrepreneurs, hitmen, drug dealers, and fallen angels, all wanting their piece of the pie. Told with precision and a stark beauty, Trout, Belly Up is a beguiling, disturbing ensemble of moments set in the heart of a rural landscape in a country where brutality is never far from the surface.

About the Author

Considered to be one of the most prominent names among the new generation of Guatemalan writers, Rodrigo Fuentes (1984) won the Caratula Central American Short Story Prize (2014) as well as the Juegos Florales of Quetzaltenango Short Story Prize (2008). He is the co-founder and editor of the magazine Suelta and of the digital publishing house and literary journal Traviesa .

Trout, Belly Up was shortlisted for the 2018 Premio Hispanoamericano de Cuento Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the most prestigious prize awarded to short-story writers in Latin America. It has been published in Guatemala, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia, as well as in France. Rodrigo currently lectures at the College of the Holy Cross in the United States, and lives between Providence and Guatemala. This is his first book to appear in English.

Ellen Jones is a writer, editor, and literary translator from Spanish. Her recent and forthcoming translations include The Remains by Margo Glantz (shortlisted for the Warwick Prize of Women in Translation), Cubanthropy by Ivan de la Nuez, The Forgery by Ave Barrera (co-translated with Robin Myers), and Nancy by Bruno Lloret. Her monograph, Literature in Motion: Translating Multilingualism Across the Americas is published by Columbia University Press (2022).

Reviews

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Short Story Prize (Finalist)
Society of Authors TA First Translation Prize (Shortlist)

"While each of the shorts could stand alone--and do, rather successfully--deciphering and connecting the overlapping threads provides enhanced literary pleasure." -Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Fuentes's prose is emotionally resonant and smartly constructed....These satisfying stories are full of surprises." -Publishers Weekly

"A smart, controlled debut from a writer who addresses poverty and criminality in a variety of registers." -Kirkus

"Fuentes is a consistently engaging and original writer...it is a joy to find writing of such high quality." -The Times Literary Supplement

"With grace and humility, Rodrigo Fuentes has written a subtle, luminous, memorable book."" -Rodrigo Hasbun , author of AFFECTIONS

Book Information
ISBN 9781916465619
Author Rodrigo Fuentes
Format Paperback
Page Count 97
Imprint Charco Press
Publisher Charco Press