Reviews of The Killer's Tears by Anne-Laure Bondoux

The Killer's Tears

by Anne-Laure Bondoux

The Killer's Tears by Anne-Laure Bondoux X
The Killer's Tears by Anne-Laure Bondoux
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  • First Published:
    Feb 2006, 176 pages

    Paperback:
    May 2007, 176 pages

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Book Summary

Angel Allegria arrives at the Poloverdos’ farmhouse. He kills the farmer and his wife, but he spares their child, Paolo. Together the killer and the boy begin a new life on this remote and rugged stretch of land in Chile.

On the afternoon when Angel Allegria arrives at the Poloverdos’ farmhouse, he kills the farmer and his wife. But he spares their child, Paolo – a young boy who will claim this as the day on which he was born. Together the killer and the boy begin a new life on this remote and rugged stretch of land in Chile.

Then Luis Secunda, a well-to-do and educated fellow from the city descends upon them. Paolo is caught in the paternal rivalry between the two men. But life resumes its course . . . until circumstances force the three to leave the farm. In doing so, Angel and Luis confront their pasts as well as their inevitable destinies – destinies that profoundly shape Paolo’s own future.

Chapter One

No one ever arrived here by chance. Here was nearly the end of the world, close to the southernmost tip of Chile, which resembles lace in the cold Pacific waters.

On this land, everything was so tough, desolate, and abused by the wind that even the stones seemed in pain. Yet just before the desert and the sea, a narrow, gray-walled structure emerged from the ground: the Poloverdo farm.

Travelers who reached this point were surprised to find a house. They would walk down the path and knock on the door to ask for a night's lodging. Most times, the traveler was a scientist, either a geologist with a box of stones, or an astronomer in quest of a dark night. Sometimes it was a poet. Other times simply an adventurer looking for spots yet undiscovered and far from the beaten path.

So rare were such visits that each one seemed like a big event. The Poloverdo woman would pour a drink from a chipped pitcher with shaky hands. The Poloverdo man would force himself to ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In a desolate landscape in Southern Chile, a boy, his parents’ murderer, and a wealthy stranger from the city struggle to confront their pasts and ultimately experience the healing power of love and forgiveness.

“It’s not easy to be alive. . . . It’s complicated, twisted and kinked, just like the dead trees of the Pampas.” (p. 100) No one knows better than Paolo Poloverdo how difficult living can be. After Angel Allegria appears at his family farm and murders his parents, the young boy finds himself in the care of both his parents’ killer and Luis, a wealthy gentleman from the city trying to escape his own inner demons. With two unlikely surrogate fathers, Paolo learns that love, beauty, and...
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Reviews

BookBrowse Review

BookBrowse

For adult readers and for some older teens this redemptive tale of forgiveness and loss will strike a nerve and be remembered for some time to come...continued

Full Review (155 words)

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Media Reviews

Booklist -Gillian Engberg
Winner of France's prestigious Prix Sorcieres, this novel is filled with challenging ideas and potent language that will pull readers in new directions.

Kirkus Reviews
This spare but emotionally charged story is stylistically adult.... A lovely story for the right audience.

Publisher's Weekly
An affecting fable-like style and absorbing narrative sustain this unusual story to its redemptive conclusion.

School Library Journal
While the books haunting, melancholy air will keep readers turning pages, the complex yet remote telling gives it the feel of South-American literature, which may hold more appeal for adults than for teens.

Reader Reviews

RU1446715

Tear Jerking Book
Ohmygod this book was amazing. I loved it, I loved it, I loved it. I can't believe I hadn't heard of this book before. it is totally amazing. People need to read/MAKE IT HEARD. IT REALLY DOES NEED TO BE KNOWN BY EVERYONE. WOW! It's sad and every ...   Read More
JR

A Must Read!
THE KILLER'S TEARS is hands down one of the best books I have read in my entire life, and will undoubtedly remain so in the future. The ingeniously descriptive writing, the fascinating characters and the unique storyline make for an addictive novel ...   Read More
Leigh Pton

What a book!
I thought that this book was one of the greatest books I have ever read. It was so captivating, that I could not put the book down.

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Beyond the Book

Anne-Laure Bondoux was born in 1971, in the region surrounding Paris, where she still lives today with her two children. She studied Modern Letters at the University of Paris X–Nanterre, and during her education, created writing workshops for disadvantaged children, for which she eventually received the Prix Fondation of France.

After having done some theater, Bondoux joined the editorial staff at Bayard Presse in 1996. There she worked on J’aime Lire, a literary, educational publication for ...

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