The Lucky Ones

Set mostly in lush, heady Colombia but even in a jungle-like New York City, they yoke together the fates of guerrilla soldiers, rich kids, rabbits, hostages, bourgeois expats, and drug dealers. Interconnected yet fractured in places, the result is a narrative jigsaw puzzle with some of the pieces missing, or a kaleidoscope where different characters spin into focus as they take turns to come into focus. Her characters' voices are completely haunting - and Pachico's playfulness with language and mastery of consciousness create a mesmerising collective atmosphere in this collection. At once terse and tender, with a manic, crazed energy, these stories will scalpel their way into your memory.