Malena

Publishers Weekly: Set during Argentina's Dirty Wars of the late 1970s and early 80s, Holzman's stunning debut novel follows two men clamoring for a woman's heart as they weather the country's descent into brutality. As Captain Diego Fioravanti dances with Inés to their favorite tango, "Malena," his thoughts pirouette from the woman in his arms to his dreaded impending rendezvous with a high-ranking military official. Entangled in a web of mistrust and state-sanctioned atrocities, Diego is desperate to escape the rogue military. Meanwhile, Kevin "Solo" Solórzano, an American interpreter stationed in Washington D.C. and who spent time in Argentina in his youth, struggles in the midst of a divorce and a tumultuous joint-custody suit for his children. But when an assignment from the Organization of American States sends him to Argentina, he jumps at the chance to rekindle the flame with the woman he left behind 16 years ago. As the number of los desaparecidos rises, Diego and Solo must overcome their rivalry in order to survive, but neither wants to relinquish their love for Inés. Holzman, an Argentinian himself, has crafted a beautiful tale grounded in history and propelled by fast-paced storytelling.