In the English-language debut novel of one of Mexico's most poignant writers, a man guilty of a minor offense finds an unexpected path forward by way of his punishment-reading to others.After an accident-or "the misfortune, " as his cancer-ridden father's caretaker calls it-Eduardo is sentenced to a year of community service reading to the elderly and infirm. Stripped of his driver's license and feeling impotent as he nears thirty-five, he performs his duties without comprehending what he reads, and walks the city of Cuernavaca. Once a quiet town known for its lush gardens and swimming pools, the "City of Eternal Spring" is now plagued by robberies, kidnappings, and the other myriad forms of violence bred by drug trafficking. As he enters into the homes and lives of his listeners, Eduardo becomes entangled in a series of sinister events that will place him at the center of this complex community of people who occupy so much of his time. With his subtle yet gripping writing, a brilliant mix of Moravia and Vargas Llosa, Fabio Morábito likewise draws his readers into this peculiar world.