{"product_id":"heavens-on-earth-9781941920442","title":"Heavens on Earth","description":"\u003ch2\u003eHeavens on Earth by Carmen Boullosa\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWinner of Mexico's prestigious Xavier Villaurrutia Award, Carmen Boullosa delivers a multi-layered narrative that weaves together three voices across different centuries. \u003cem\u003eHeavens on Earth\u003c\/em\u003e follows Lear (known as 24) in L'Atlàntide, a post-apocalyptic utopian society that increasingly restricts language use. Defying conformity, Lear transcribes the writings of Don Hernando, a 16th century Indian priest, and Estela, a 20th century translator of Hernando's work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis literary fiction explores how three individuals separated by time and space find connection through the written word. As language faces extinction in Lear's world, she discovers strength in preserving these historical narratives. Both Lear and Estela ultimately rebel against their respective societies, fighting for the right to remember and document their histories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders who appreciated \u003cem\u003eCloud Atlas\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSavage Detectives\u003c\/em\u003e will find similar narrative complexity in Boullosa's structure. The novel examines themes of memory preservation, linguistic freedom, and resistance against authoritarian control. Published by Deep Vellum Publishing, this paperback edition brings together political fiction, speculative elements, and cultural commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCarmen Boullosa stands as one of Mexico's leading literary voices, recognized for her novels, poetry, and plays. Her previous work \u003cem\u003eTexas: The Great Theft\u003c\/em\u003e earned a PEN Translation Prize shortlist nomination and won Typographical Era's Translation Award. Translated by Shelby Vincent, \u003cem\u003eHeavens on Earth\u003c\/em\u003e maintains the author's distinctive voice while making this important Mexican literature accessible to English readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative structure challenges conventional storytelling by threading three distinct time periods into a cohesive exploration of humanity's relationship with language. Don Hernando's 16th century perspective provides historical grounding, Estela's 20th century translation work bridges past and future, and Lear's post-apocalyptic struggle brings urgency to questions about cultural preservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/strong\u003e Carmen Boullosa has published over a dozen novels, with two designated Best Novel Published in Mexico by \u003cem\u003eReforma\u003c\/em\u003e magazine. Her novel \u003cem\u003eBefore\u003c\/em\u003e won the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize for Best Mexican Novel, and \u003cem\u003eLa otra mano de Lepanto\u003c\/em\u003e was selected as one of the Top 100 Novels Published in Spanish in the past 25 years. A Guggenheim fellowship recipient and Distinguished Lecturer at City College of New York, Boullosa's work has been translated into Italian, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Russian.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Translator:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shelby Vincent received her PhD in Literary Translation from the University of Texas at Dallas's School of Arts and Humanities in 2015. She is currently translating another of Boullosa's novels entitled \u003cem\u003eThe Virgin and the Violin\u003c\/em\u003e, which is loosely based on the female Renaissance artist Sofonisba Anguissola, and which Deep Vellum will publish in 2018.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Deep Vellum Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50493263905042,"sku":"9781941920442","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_d6cc0446-debe-425a-bb51-c03d0ebc699e.jpg?v=1730640785","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/heavens-on-earth-9781941920442","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}