A Question of Belonging

This sparkling collection of short stories and travelogues by Argentinian writer Uhart (1936–2018; Animals) brims with sharp observations and self-deprecating humor. In “Around the Corner,” Uhart observes a drunk Englishman in Cartagena, Colombia: “He seemed to be traveling the world chained to hotel restaurants and bars, as if the world were just an old house he knew inside and out, unworthy of even the slightest glance.” In “My Bed Away from Home,” she considers from her vantage point as a patient the small everyday dramas of a hospital, where “you turn into an unrecognizable tyrant who wants someone to pick up the reading glasses you dropped on the floor.” “Rio Is a State of Mind” centers on a wigmaker who plans to dance at Carnival, despite attending a church that warns of “Carnival’s sins and its offense to God,” which prompts the wigmaker to add, without a hint of irony, “Carnival is very lovely, but the priest says lovely things too!” Uhart shines in her nuanced portrayal of all-too-human moments. There’s much to admire in this understated collection. (May)