Piñen

Synopsis

A fierce, tender collection of stories about the lives, traumas, and dreams of Mapuche youth in modern-day Chile. The word "piñen" comes from Mapudungun and refers to the dust or the dirt that sticks to the body. In the all-too-real streets of Santiago de Chile, Daniela Catrileo gives us a portrait of a generation in search of itself. In “Warriache,” two childhood friends whose lives have been marked by their part Mapuche identity and the memories that bind them circle each other at a party. Their dance of delays and inevitable meeting expands into a tale across epochs—one that gives life to the hidden and suppressed experiences of those who live on the margins of other stories. In “Pornomisery,” a young girl considers the sexual violence that seems to lurk behind every closed door in her cloistered community and darken every possible route of exit. Piñen is suffused with the humanity of its vivid, complex characters, bringing a side of modern Chile to vibrant life. It also marks the confident next step in the career of a writer poised to become one of the boldest and most uncompromising chroniclers of modern life in Latin American literature. "Striking … Throughout, Catrileo paints her characters with a fine brush, showing how they each attempt to thrive amidst their gritty daily lives. It’s a powerful testament to resilience."—Publishers Weekly