Free review copy received from And Other Stories!

After finishing this book (10pm yesterday evening by the time I’m posting this) I immediately wanted to flip back to the start and reread. Slash and Burn by Salvadoran writer Claudia Hernández is a book that practically demands multiple readings, telling the universal story of women’s experiences during and after a civil war.

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A lot of the English-language reviewers (obviously I can’t speak for the Spanish-language ones!) got hung up on the author’s decision not to include any names, despite dealing with four generations of women. Yes it’s a challenging book, and it does require your full attention, but the reviews dominated by that glance over the quiet brilliance of this book. If you can get to grips with the no names, it sweeps you away in these women’s stories of life after a revolution. It captures the rippling after-effects of having been an active part of the revolution, on both that woman, her mother, her daughters and her daughters’ daughters. The decision not to name anyone or any place (except Paris) or indeed any time makes this a timeless story of women, war and collective struggle.

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The translator’s note by Julia Sanches was also highly illuminating and added further appreciation to an already fantastic read. I might add to this review later but these are my immediate thoughts!