El retiro

Exhausted by her work and in the midst of an existential crisis, a woman leaves Sydney and her family to spend time in a small religious community in rural Australia. Although she is not a believer and doesn't know how to pray, she gradually adapts to the sisters' way of life and allows herself to be enveloped by the tranquility of this remote place. As she discovers an unknown pleasure in simple, repetitive daily tasks and learns to appreciate the beauty of the silence and the nature that surrounds her, her perception of time blurs and past events resurface in her memory, taking on a new meaning. But the relentless reality outside threatens this newfound peace. The possibility of living in harmony with the world, the true nature of forgiveness, and the traces that pain leaves on the human soul are some of the themes explored in this meditative, moving, and meticulously crafted novel. Critically acclaimed, The Retreat is undoubtedly the best novel by one of the great contemporary Australian writers.