A review by booksnpunks
The Wind that Lays Waste by Selva Almada

3.0

Set in a barren drought in rural Argentina, a preacher and his daughter’s car breaks down and they find solace in a mechanic and his assistant. The four of them are forced to shelter from a storm together and what becomes of this is a really claustrophobic, awkward and almost gothic look at Argentine evangelism. The preacher is constantly trying to get the mechanic and assistant to join his cause and there is a real tension between the four of them as they get trapped inside the house. I loved the reaction of the two kids to the fights between the two adults and the ending was really strange. It feels like this novel married the Southern Gothic and it’s religious themes with the barren Latin American landscape really well. Excited to read my final Selva Almada book after this one.