Ti-am dat ochi si tu ai privit in intuneric

At Mas Clavell, a remote farm in Catalonia’s Guilleries mountains, an old woman lies dying. Around her, time bends as the stories of the house’s women unfold. Their lives, loves and childbirths emerge over one day, from dawn to night. The story begins with Joana, who longs for love and a son. She calls on the devil to help her. Deserters, wolves, ghosts and demons haunt the nearby mountains.

Irene Sola’s novel blends lyrical prose with tales of a pact with the devil. It finds beauty and joy in the ugly and grotesque. The bounds between worlds grow thin as the women’s stories meet.

The novel won the 2024 Lletra d’Or prize. It has appeared in translation in more than 30 countries. Jana Balacciu Matei translated this edition from Catalan and supplied notes. It forms part of the Raftul Denisei series.