Strange Horizons, November 13, 2017

“El Cóndor del Machángara” by Ana Hurtado

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

The present and the legendary past reflect each other in “El Cóndor del Machángara” by Ana Hurtado. In modern Ecuador, vultures surround the narrator’s home. She also has to deal with the unwanted attentions of her father’s friend. In alternating sections, a woman in an ancient myth visits the magical river of the condor to ease her heartache. The narrator, the woman in the myth, and the author all have the same name, so it seems likely this story is symbolic and semi-autobiographical. Its main appeal is its depiction of South American culture.

Victoria Silverwolf sometimes eats at an Ecuadoran restaurant.