Customer Reviews

In the City of the Disappeared: A Novel

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There are some books that stick with you long after you've turned that final page. "In the City of the Disappeared" is one of those books. The story centers around Harry Bayliss, a twenty-two year old American Peace Corp volunteer in Chile during the Pinochet regime. Hazuka perfectly captures the internal turmoil of a man coming of age in time and place when moral convictions aren't easily expressed, posing deep questions of individual wants versus the needs of the many. Dealing with such weighty themes as "oppression" and "brutality" is tricky stuff. Somehow, the novel never gets bogged down with editorializing or casting judgement. At its heart, it is the story of a boy becoming a man. Well traversed ground, true, but that is why this book is so remarkable. It takes something universal and renders it unique. Hazuka balances a compelling and believable love story, layers elements of political strife, and turns it, ultimately, into a piece about the dire need for heroes. Beautifully written, romantic without being sentimental, hard to put down, and an all around joy to read. The best book I have read in a long, long time.