Osvaldo Soriano

Considered the most brilliant allegory for the military dictatorship ever written, by one of the most read and best-loved authors in Argentina

A tango singer and an ex-boxer turn up in a small town in Argentina, hired by the military authorities to take part in the town's festivities. The former has to perform in a recital, while the latter has to act as a stooge in the highpoint of the festivities: he will face the local hero in combat, an officer.

Both the singer and the boxer are in the twilight of their careers, marked by setbacks that they can do nothing about except hang their heads in resignation. And so they arrive in the town with the idea of putting in a performance, making some money and leaving straight away. However, the atmosphere of violence, terror and injustice forces the two losers to make a heroic gesture of solidarity, to make a stand for dignity in the face of those who believe they can take everything away from us.

"A lucid, terrible and courageous book, which also demonstrates Soriano's powerful civic, democratic and political conscience." Antonio Tabucchi