Samurai

‘Sometimes, Grandad is sitting looking out of the window and says nothing. Nothing at all, even if she comes in like a whirlwind, even if she stands by the shelves and picks up a book…”

A story within another story makes up this short novel that talks about migration and identity, the complexities of every language and the intersection between two generations: a teenager and her grandfather.

Narrated in two voices, Samurai tells the story of a teenager and her grandfather who meet weekly to read. The library, the place where the grandfather lives locked up, is the scene of that conversation, which, with humor and grace, portrays a relationship between two generations and life experiences. Thus, the novel reconstructs both the grandfather’s migration story and her difficulties with the language as well as the adventures of an adolescent and her first love encounters with her.

Key points

2025 – Cuatrogatos Foundation 100 Recommended Books
2024 – Santiago Municipal Literature Prize

• A quick read, in two voices and with precise words, the story crosses eras and generations to subtly show us the encounter between grandfather and granddaughter.
• The book includes a large fold-out illustration in gold on black paper by the artist Francisco de Borja Valdés. The illustration shows a combination of settings, landscapes and ruins representing the experiences and dreams of the grandfather.

Sara Bertrand

2019 – Unesco Chair Distinction
2017 – New Horizons Bologna Ragazzi Award
2017 – White Ravens List
2016, 2017 – Best Books for Children Award, Banco del Libro de Venezuela