The Rainforest

"Labinger's melodic translation lyrically enhances Steimberg's potently symbolic portrait of a woman in transition."—Booklist

"From Argentine novelist Steimberg . . . comes a poetically written and beautifully translated perspective on personal happiness, solace, and mature love."—Library Journal

"In a novel as fragmented and verdant as memory itself, Argentine author Steimberg (Call Me Magdalena) creates a troubled Argentine writer, a widow in her late 50s who seeks comfort and recovery at a convalescent spa in the lush Brazilian rain forest. In scraps of tortured writing, dreams and unbidden recollections, Cecilia examines her relationships with three men: her deceased second husband, Dardo; Federico, the violent drug-addicted son she has cut out of her life; and Steve, a biologist from Los Angeles with whom she falls in love. . . . The question this reflective novel finally poses is whether Cecilia is strong enough to risk the possibility of a future with a man who is, ultimately, as imperfect and mortal as she is."—Publishers Weekly

“Steimberg’s eloquent and engrossing tale flows smoothly. . . . Steimberg has created an unforgettable protagonist who captures the sympathies of the reader as she attempts to overcome the tragedies of her life.” —Roberta Gordenstein, MultiCultural Review

“Steimberg’s prose is extraordinary: by turns earthy and ethereal, it is always compelling.”—Tower Light (Towson, MD)