Los Abel
Novel , 1948
Austral
It draws on the biblical theme of Cainism—frequently revisited by various authors in post-war literature—narrating the life, hatreds, and deaths of seven siblings belonging to a family clan. Matute contrasts the world of children with that of adults to convey her own personalized vision of the world and human relationships, a recurring theme throughout her work. Indeed, she herself has stated that one of her dreams is for people to understand one another, even while knowing there is no real desire for human beings to achieve mutual understanding. This is why 'that lack of understanding and breakdown in communication is one of the major themes in my books.'