Winner of the 2013 Alfaguara Novel Prize, one of the most significant prizes in the Spanish language

When Samuel receives a call out of the blue about the death of his lover Clara, his own numbing existence seems about to come to an end. Does it matter that he never knew Clara? And, if he invents a past for his love and his loss, could he even fake his way through her funeral? Unable to pass up the chance at leading a new life, Samuel leads himself down a path of lies, until he can no longer distinguish between what is real and what he has invented. Ovejero's existential thriller of first mistaken and then stolen identity brilliantly exposes the fictions people create to sustain themselves in a dehumanising modern world.

Translated from the Spanish by Simon Deefholts and Kathryn Phillips-Miles

JOSÉ OVEJERO is a renowned contemporary Spanish novelist. His work deals both with generic themes regarding interpersonal relationships as well as the socio-economic issues currently experienced in Spanish society. He has published seven novels, one of which has been translated into English (Nothing Ever Happens, 2013) as well as several collections of short stories and essays. He won the 2013 Premio Alfaguara for his novel La invencion del amor (Inventing Love), one of the most prestigious literary awards in the Spanish language.