[close] ”Enchanting . . . a rollicking and often shocking tale that Cañón tells with charm and bite.”
—The Washington Post Book World Review

Set against the backdrop of the ongoing Colombian war, this brilliant novel tells the story of Mariquita, a mountain village that's forever altered the day a band of communist guerrillas forcibly recruits all but three of its men. Left to fend for themselves with an ethically challenged priest, a transvestite and a withdrawn gay man, the virtual widows slowly emerge from their supporting roles as wives and daughters to become unwitting founders of a remarkable new society—an all-female utopia that, ironically, is founded on the very socialist values the guerrillas claim to be fighting for but have betrayed. And when some of the men come home after their 16-year absence and try to reclaim their power, things get really interesting . . . .
Tales from the Town of Widows is an extraordinary debut wrought with humor, tenderness and elegance. It marks the arrival of an unforgettable new literary talent.