Arturo Fontaine

When it was discovered that the writer Teresa Wilms (1893–1921), married and with children, was having a passionate affair with Vicho Balmaceda, she was confined to a convent—from which she escaped. She traveled to Buenos Aires accompanied by Vicente Huidobro and later lived in Madrid and Paris, where she took her own life at the age of 28.

This novel delves into the love that shocked society and shaped destinies. It was woven together from a variety of documents—by Teresa and others—but above all, from the stories the author heard firsthand from his own relatives, direct witnesses to that time and to those real lives, which are here reimagined in prose that entertains, captivates, enlightens, and moves.

“Y entonces Teresa is written with great beauty. There is deep music in Fontaine’s phrasing... One of the most intriguing things is that the characters laugh a lot—more than in any novel I can recall. Fontaine has turned laughter into a supplementary language, a complement to the words exchanged by the characters, a measure of their emotions." David Gallagher, The Times Literary Supplement

“In this novel, an era, a woman, and a desire all speak.” Sonia Montecino

“Set against the backdrop of early twentieth-century Chile, Y entonces Teresa recreates a story of love and agony, masterfully revealing a way of narrating and writing we thought was lost.” Raúl Zurita

“The subtlest swings of a woman’s heart. A moving novel in which there is nothing but truth.” Carla Guelfenbein

“The book moves at a good pace, shifting among several narrators, which lends the text a conversational tone.” Pedro Gandolfo, El Mercurio

“A touching story.” Héctor Soto, La Tercera