Sandra Benitez

From critically acclaimed author Sandra Benitez comes a compelling novel that takes one woman on a journey from Minnesota to Mexico in a search that tests her marriage, uncovers family secrets, and forces her to discover who she truly is. Annie Rush -- a 34-year-old Minnesotan--seems to be living every woman's dream: She has an interesting job, loyal husband, and adorable sons. But just beneath the surface, a series of family tragedies haunts her, including the death of her twin sister more than three decades earlier. Her father, plagued by guilt, shot himself soon thereafter; a few years later Annie's brother Hub Hart left home for good. While they haven't had contact for decades, the death of their mother compels Annie to embark on a search for her lost sibling. Hub's trail takes Annie all the way to Oaxaca, Mexico, a town exuberant with Christmas and the Night of the Radishes celebrations. Amid the vibrant festivities, Annie is drawn to Joe, a Berkeley professor staying at the same inn. She must decide whether her love for her husband is great enough to resist Joe, and, ultimately, who was to blame for her sister's death.

Haunted by a series of family tragedy--including the death of her twin sister in childhood and the suicide of her father--thirty-four-year-old Annie Rush, prompted by the death of their mother, embarks on a search for her long-lost brother Hub Hart, traveling from Minnesota to Mexico on a quest that tests her marriage, unravels family secrets, and forces her to revaluate her life. 25,000 first printing.

"Bentez's third novel seamlessly blends fact with imagination, evoking the trauma of war more vividly than any newspaper account . . . beautifully illuminating." (Publishers Weekly starred review) Sandra Bentez received international acclaim for her first two novels: A Place Where the Sea Remembers ("A quietly stunning work that leaves soft tracks in the heart" --Washington Post Book World) and Bitter Grounds ("The kind of book that fills your dreams for weeks" --Isabel Allende). Now she returns with an unforgettable tale of life in war-torn El Salvador.

"Alli Donde el Mar Recuerda" es un relato obsesionante de amor, ira, esperanza, y tragedia cuyos personajes subsisten mucho despues de haber leido la ultima pagina. En el corazon del relato esta Chayo, la vendedora de flores, y su esposo, Candelario, el ensaladero, quienes esperan que al fin Dios los bendiga con el hijo que pensaron nunca tendrian. Sin embargo, el motivo de su felicidad provoca una cadena de sucesos que marca las vidas de todos los habitantes de Santiago, una aldea mexicana. Sus esperanzas, triunfos, defectos, y fracasos hacen una impresion imborrable de un mundo en cual el destino puede depender del mas minimo hecho. "Alli Donde el Mar Recuerda, " un asombroso debut por una nueva voz en el genero novelistico de America, es un libro que nunca olvidara.