eh.

Electric short novel about a tempestuous girlhood or two. ( )

"Sometimes I wondered how she knew so much stuff I didn't know and then I got sad because I didn't have a sadness of my own—my sadness was the same as Isora's except inside my body. It was kind of like a fake sadness, like a knockoff sadness. That was me. I had no real reason to be sad, so I just made one up. "

Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu was a perfect summer read I read im month for Women in Translation . It takes place in the Canary Islands and documents the mundane of Summer days spent by two elementary school age best friends. It's a coming if age story ripe with big emotions, the innocence of youth, girlhood and friendship. It's a bite sized translated work full of beautiful prose that brings the setting and community to life.

Even though this one is a relatively short read it leaves a lasting impression not only because of the themes it covers but also because the writing is stunning. Dogs of Summer reminds me of summer days full of spontaneous adventures, young obsessive friendships, puberty and adolescence, loss of innocence, the dangers of naiveté and girlhood, jealousy and sexuality and the complexities of exploring youth and the outdoors.

I recommend this one if you love:

👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 coming of age stories
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 translated gems
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 beautiful lines and passages
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 childhood nostalgia
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 exploration of sexuality
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 intense female friendships
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 freedom & innocence of being young
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 girls who aren't afraid to get dirty & explore their surroundings
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 loss of innocence & the aftermath

Thank you @astrahouse for the gifted copy. ( )