False Calm: A Journey Through the Ghost Towns of Patagonia by Maria Sonia Cristoff
"A bold, beautiful book."--The New York Times
"A marvelous chronicle."--Publishers Weekly
Part reportage, part personal essay, part travelogue, False Calm is the breakout work by Argentinian author María Sonia Cristoff. Writing against romantic portrayals of Patagonia, Cristoff returns home to chronicle the ghost towns left behind by the oil boom. In prose that showcases her sharp powers of observation, Cristoff explores Patagonia's complicated legacy through the lost stories of its people and the desolate places they inhabit.
"Personal memoir, travelogue, and history combine in María Sonia Cristoff's
False Calm, a journey that peels back the layers of the ghostly fog blanketing Patagonia to reveal engrossing complexity."
--Foreword Reviews
"Cristoff writes with a razor-sharp voice, and her insight and ability to inhabit the voices of Patagonia--her success as a 'two-voiced narrator'--make this book a tremendous success."
--Rain Taxi