📖 Overview
Carolina De Robertis is an Uruguayan-American author and translator known for her historical fiction novels that explore Latin American themes, particularly focused on Uruguay and Argentina. Her work frequently addresses themes of identity, gender, sexuality, and political resistance.
De Robertis's debut novel The Invisible Mountain (2009) earned international recognition and was translated into seventeen languages. Her subsequent novels, including Perla (2012), The Gods of Tango (2015), Cantoras (2019), and The President and the Frog (2021), have further established her as a significant voice in contemporary Latin American literature.
As a translator, she has rendered works by Latin American authors into English, contributing to the accessibility of Spanish-language literature for English-speaking audiences. She currently serves as a professor of creative writing at San Francisco State University.
De Robertis's writing has garnered multiple awards, including a Stonewall Book Award, a Reading Women Award, and recognition as a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Her novels often incorporate elements of magical realism while examining historical events through intimate personal narratives.
👀 Reviews
Readers connect strongly with De Robertis's portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and Latin American history, particularly in "Cantoras" and "The Gods of Tango." Multiple reviews note her skill at weaving historical details with personal stories.
What readers liked:
- Rich cultural and historical context
- Complex female characters
- Lyrical prose style
- Authentic representation of queer experiences
- Seamless integration of Spanish phrases
What readers disliked:
- Pacing issues, especially in first half of novels
- Some found the magical realism elements jarring
- Dense historical details occasionally overwhelm narrative flow
Ratings:
Goodreads averages:
- Cantoras: 4.3/5 (6,800+ ratings)
- The Gods of Tango: 4.0/5 (2,900+ ratings)
- The Invisible Mountain: 3.9/5 (2,400+ ratings)
Amazon averages:
- Cantoras: 4.5/5
- The Gods of Tango: 4.3/5
- The Invisible Mountain: 4.2/5
"Her characters leap off the page," writes one Goodreads reviewer, while another notes "the research depth shows in every scene."
📚 Books by Carolina De Robertis
Cantoras (2019)
The story of five queer women who find refuge and community with each other during Uruguay's military dictatorship in the 1970s.
The Gods of Tango (2015) A young Italian immigrant woman in 1913 Buenos Aires poses as a man to pursue her passion for tango music.
Perla (2012) A young woman in Buenos Aires confronts her father's role in Argentina's Dirty War when a mysterious stranger appears at her door.
The Invisible Mountain (2009) Three generations of Uruguayan women navigate love, politics, and identity throughout the twentieth century.
The President and the Frog (2021) A former Latin American president reflects on his years of imprisonment in solitary confinement, where his only companion was a frog.
Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times (2017) An anthology edited by De Robertis featuring essays from diverse writers responding to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The Gods of Tango (2015) A young Italian immigrant woman in 1913 Buenos Aires poses as a man to pursue her passion for tango music.
Perla (2012) A young woman in Buenos Aires confronts her father's role in Argentina's Dirty War when a mysterious stranger appears at her door.
The Invisible Mountain (2009) Three generations of Uruguayan women navigate love, politics, and identity throughout the twentieth century.
The President and the Frog (2021) A former Latin American president reflects on his years of imprisonment in solitary confinement, where his only companion was a frog.
Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times (2017) An anthology edited by De Robertis featuring essays from diverse writers responding to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
👥 Similar authors
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Julia Alvarez focuses on Dominican-American immigrant experiences and intergenerational family stories. Her novels examine cultural identity and political resistance through multiple narrative voices.
Cristina Garcia creates narratives about Cuban and Cuban-American life across different decades. She writes about revolution, diaspora, and the complexities of belonging to two cultures.
Sandra Cisneros tells stories of Mexican-American communities through both novels and poetry. Her work centers on female characters navigating cultural boundaries and finding their voices.
Laura Esquivel combines magical realism with Mexican cultural traditions and family relationships. Her narratives interweave food, love, and domestic life with broader social and political contexts.