Last Day of a Prior Life

'A ghost story without ghosts that, beyond the beauty of its form, explores solitude, the twists and turns of our lives, and the unfathomable complexities of affection.' Mariana Enriquez While preparing an empty house for sale, a woman encounters an unblinking seven-year-old boy, trapped there from another era, like an insect preserved in amber. Unable to articulate what he needs, the child draws her into an unsettling bond that neither can escape ... until they understand what has caused it. With incredible precision, this deeply disquieting novel weaves together doppelg ngers and time loops in the tradition of a classic ghost story. Yet its contemporary sensibility - where lyricism meets cruelty - evokes the dark horror of Shirley Jackson. From one of the most renowned Spanish-language authors working today, Last Day of a Prior Life is a masterful dissection of human longing and the ties that bind us, even across time itself. 'A short, subtle, eerie tale that hides depths beneath a surface simplicity.' -Lisa Tuttle, The Guardian 'Last Day of a Prior Life is about wondering whether your love for your demons can be reciprocated or must go unrequited ... A novel about the fear of sharing intimate and perhaps unvoiceable parts of oneself, and the small consolations of doing so.' -Declan Fry, The Saturday Paper 'A luminary of contemporary Spanish literature shines unsettling light on the ghost story in Last Day of a Prior Life. This slender, pensive horror novel ... Andres Barba has won plaudits from prominent writers around the world, and this elegant and disturbing tale twists Black Mirror-like tropes - time loops and doppelgangers and suchlike - into a lyrical tale in which cruelty and beauty intertwine.' FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK -Cameron Woodhead, The Sydney Morning Herald