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Eliana Tobias published the historical novel In the Belly of the Horse (Inanna, 2017) about a family escaping the turmoil of Peru's political conflict in the 1980s. Otilia and Salvador, a mother and son torn apart during the conflict.
A second novel, When We Return (River Grove Books $22.05) published in 2022, follows the family in 2008 when the Peruvian government is ready to make amends to its citizens following the violent guerilla movement of the last three decades. Otilia and Salvador, separated for twenty years, are eager for the government to acknowledge their pain and suffering, but they hit a roadblock when the government denies responsibility in their legal case. Things begin to look up when Otilia meets Jerry, a kind man and the son of Jewish parents who escaped the Holocaust. Grappling with his own upbringing and the psychological struggles his parents endured, Jerry is just the person to empathize with Otilia's situation. Together, Otilia, Jerry, and Salvador must support one another through the turbulent journey that is healing from historical trauma, and through it, they must find the courage to rebuild their lives and open themselves up to love and companionship. Weaving together different timelines and countries, Tobias examines the nuanced topic of grief a community endures after a collective tragedy. In this exploration of the culture of remembrance following displacement and loss, we discover what happens when our past calls us back to what we must do to achieve justice and reconciliation when we return.
Tobias was born in Chile to immigrant parents who had survived the Holocaust. She eventually completed graduate degrees in Canada and the US, and now splits her time between BC and California.
BOOKS
When We Return (River Grove Books, 2022) $22.05 978-1632995346
In the Belly of the Horse (Inanna, 2017) 978-1-77133-429-7
[BCBW 2022]
A second novel, When We Return (River Grove Books $22.05) published in 2022, follows the family in 2008 when the Peruvian government is ready to make amends to its citizens following the violent guerilla movement of the last three decades. Otilia and Salvador, separated for twenty years, are eager for the government to acknowledge their pain and suffering, but they hit a roadblock when the government denies responsibility in their legal case. Things begin to look up when Otilia meets Jerry, a kind man and the son of Jewish parents who escaped the Holocaust. Grappling with his own upbringing and the psychological struggles his parents endured, Jerry is just the person to empathize with Otilia's situation. Together, Otilia, Jerry, and Salvador must support one another through the turbulent journey that is healing from historical trauma, and through it, they must find the courage to rebuild their lives and open themselves up to love and companionship. Weaving together different timelines and countries, Tobias examines the nuanced topic of grief a community endures after a collective tragedy. In this exploration of the culture of remembrance following displacement and loss, we discover what happens when our past calls us back to what we must do to achieve justice and reconciliation when we return.
Tobias was born in Chile to immigrant parents who had survived the Holocaust. She eventually completed graduate degrees in Canada and the US, and now splits her time between BC and California.
BOOKS
When We Return (River Grove Books, 2022) $22.05 978-1632995346
In the Belly of the Horse (Inanna, 2017) 978-1-77133-429-7
[BCBW 2022]
