Joaquín has messed up with just about everyone, from his mother, to Isaías Balboa the widow-seducer, to the family home. Only in young Dalila does there seem to be any hope of redemption—if only Joaquín had the time and didn’t need to explain himself. In this 21st-century picaresque novel, a secret language, a dying brother, and a rabbit condemned to death are among the stumbling blocks for all the best intentions.