This deliciously disorienting historical novel throws readers right into the pungent, prismatic streets of mid-1800’s New Orleans, in which Herrera posits a turning point in Benito Juárez’s political life. Rife with subtle humor and indignation at the horrors of slavery, Season of the Swamp is smart and sharp and resonant beyond its scope. Perfect for readers who enjoyed Rivka Galchen’s I Know Your Mother is a Witch and Debra Magpie Earling’s The Lost Journals of Sacajewea.
Season of the Swamp by Yuri Herrera, (List Price: $26, Graywolf Press, 9781644453070, October 2024)
Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia