Of Saints and Miracles

Marcelino lives alone on his parents' farm, set deep in the beautiful but impoverished countryside of Asturias, northern Spain. It's the place where he grew up, where he doted on his beloved baby brother, where he protected his mother from his father's drunken rages. But when Marcelino's brother tricks him out of his land and home, a moment of uncontrolled anger sparks a chain of events that can't be reversed. Marcelino flees into the wild peaks, dense woods and abandoned villages that surround his home, becoming a cult hero as he evades the authorities. Into this unconventional thriller, Astur weaves fables about the sun and the moon, tales of death and love, and reveals a community and a way of life that may soon be lost. Of Saints and Miracles is a sensuous and poetic portrayal of an outcast's struggle to survive in a changing world, and a seamless blend of the tragic and the majestic.

Manuel Astur (1980) is a poet, novelist and short-story writer. His work includes the acclaimed essay Seré un anciano hermoso en un gran país (Sílex, 2015). He contributes articles and reviews in Spanish media outlets such as ABC Cultural, Quimera, and Revista de Letras, among others. In 2017, the European Union, through the Literary Europe Live project, chose him as One of the Ten Most Interesting New Voices in Europe. Of Saints and Miracles is his first work to be translated into English, and is published in North America by New Vessel Press.