Disappearance

Hailed as one of the most important Hispanic writers of his generation, Ilan Stavans is a celebrated storyteller whose work has been translated into a dozen languages and has garnered numerous international awards. ""The Disappearance: A Novella and Stories"" contains three masterful gems. The novella, ""Morirse esta en hebreo,"" is a thought-provoking meditation on continuity and tradition among Mexican Jews; ""Xerox Man"" is an intriguing story about a book thief with a bizarre theological obsession; and the title story, ""The Disappearance,"" is the resonant tale of a Belgian actor who kidnaps himself in an attempt to respond to neo-Nazi groups. Together, these three pieces offer an unforeseen vista of Jewish-Hispanic relations and confirm Stavans' reputation as an original literary voice.