Laia Jufresa

What a gem of a book, one of the best I've read this year.

The story centers around the people living in a little complex--a mews-- in Mexico City. Each of the little bungalows (I think of them more like row houses around a central court) has been named by the landlord for the five different tastes: Bitter, Sour, Sweet, Salty, and Umami (this last is where the landlord, who has written a book on the subject of umami, himself lives). So it is one of those "neighborhood" stories, that seems to be about how all these disparate people came to be in this place at this time, and how they come together or drift apart. I love stories like that.

But as you get into the story, you start to realize it is really an exploration into grieving and loss -- each of the residents in the mews are dealing with some kind of loss or absence in their lives, as well as becoming involved in the griefs and losses of their neighbors, including one family who suffers the accidental drowning of their youngest child.

The story slides back and forth through time from various characters points of view (including the child's) and is a marvel for its portrayal of sorrow and compassion and deep, deep ache. I find myself in awe of the translator, frankly, for the subtlety and emotional nuance that come through in every scene. I'm going to have to sit tight to read more of Jufresa's work, since Umami is a debut novel. But I'm now on a mission to see what else Sophie Hughes has translated, because my god, I can't believe how beautifully this book reads.… (more)

A lovely, fragile work on the nature of grief. I am not able to judge the original work in Spanish but the translation into English by Sophie Hughes retains a sense of difference from native English but in a way that seems lyrical and truthful. The real protagonist of the novel is the community itself and how each member is affected by his or her particular loss, and by weaving through the stories of each character the universal and bonding nature of grief is explored in a way that only fiction can. I'm grateful Jufresa for having the stamina to write this novel and to Hughes for translating it so beautifully.… (more)