The Bitch by Pilar Quintana

Release: August 4th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: World Editions
Source: Random Things Tours
Find it at: Amazon, Kindle

The Bitch is a novel of true violence. As an artist,Pilar Quintana uncovers wounds we were unaware.Though she shows us their beauty, she also throws a handful of salt into them.

In Colombia’s brutal jungle, childless Damaris develops an intense and ultimately doomed relationship with an orphaned puppy.

Colombia’s Pacific coast,everyday life involves a struggle with the brutal forces of nature. So, Damaris lives with her fisherman husband in a shack on a bluff overlooking the sea. Childless and past child bearing age, she is eager to adopt an orphaned puppy. But this act may bring more than just affection into her home. Hence, The Bitch is a prose as terse as the problems lurking around each corner. Beauty and dread live side by side in this poignant exploration of the many meanings of motherhood and love.

About the Author:

Pilar Quintana is a Colombian writer. Her birthplace was in Cali .She studied at the Javeriana University in Bogota. She is best known for her novels La Perra, which won the IV Award Biblioteca de Narrativa Colombiana, and Coleccionistas de polvos raros, which won the La Mar de Letras Award.

Twitter | Goodreads

The Bitch Review:

This is a beautiful novella that immediately grabs your heart and takes you on an emotional journey.

The story is very short and you can easily finish it in one sitting. Yet, within this short span, I went through so many emotions while reading of Damaris. Damaris is a complex character who immediately caught my interest from the first page. She feels ostracized, misunderstood, and wants to fill that void. Hence, I liked her at times, I hated her at times, but mostly, I just felt sorry for her. Most of us yearn for love and family, and Damaris is no exception. The story beautifully highlights how our expectations with loved ones rises, only to sometimes end in disappointment, if things don’t go our way. Similarly, Chirli was another highlight of the story. I don’t think I have ever cried for an animal when reading a story. Also, the supporting characters like Luzmila, Ximena and Rogelio also add well to the story.

Additionally, the author mentions beautiful passages in between that makes the story so meaningful. One of my favorite lines in the story is:

“The rain was always so cool and clean it seemed to purify the world, but it was actually the reason that moss and mold covered everything”

However, while I loved the story, main only concern was with the translation. Some of the sentences felt too long, and difficult to read. Also, there were terms like “Jaibana” without any meaning provided. I found it difficult to visualize some of the scenes due to the same.

Overall, this book is powerful, emotional, and definitely a memorable read this year.