Chasing the Sun: A Novel
Sylvester’s debut novel depicts the strained marriage of Andres and Marabela Jimenez, a wealthy couple in Lima, Peru, in 1992. When Marabela fails to come home after running an errand, Andres suspects she is leaving him for the second time. Instead, he finds a note explaining that three men have kidnapped her. The kidnappers seek a ransom in American dollars, demanding more money than Andres has. His mother, who dislikes Marabela, initially refuses to help. Each phone call between Andres and the kidnappers increases the tension, as does Andres’ struggle to soothe their children, Ignacio and Cynthia. Sylvester creates a world of nightmarish suspense, not only for the Jimenez family but also for the city of Lima itself, with its curfews and unpredictable guerrilla groups. Marabela is held by her captors for 17 days; in the novel’s second section, Days 17 and On, Sylvester portrays the pain of survival and recovery. The writing is clear, exact, and powerful, maintaining subtlety in spite of its dramatic subject matter, and the ending is smart and unexpected. --Jackie Thomas-Kennedy