Renato Cisneros's great-great-grandmother Nicolasa bore seven children by her long-term secret love, who was also her priest, raising them alone in nineteenth century Peru. More than a century later, Renato, the descendent of that clandestine affair, struggles to wring information about his origins out of recalcitrant relatives, whose foibles match the adventures and dalliances of their ancestors. As buried secrets are brought into the light, the story of Nicolasa's progeny unfolds, bound up with key moments in the development of the Republic of Peru since its independence.

(...)A compelling stand-alone prequel to his award-winning memoir, Peruvian author and journalist, Renato Cisneros, once again delves into his family's past, exploring the rippling effects of family secrets, double-lives, and uncertainty around one's roots on one family over the course of nearly two centuries. (...) ... You Shall Leave Your Land once again showcases Cisneros’ talent (...). It is a fascinating piece of autofiction that charts the first roots of a family in an emerging new nation.' — Beth Blakemore, The Wee Review

 

Renato Cisneros (Lima, 1976) is a well-known journalist, broadcaster and writer in Peru, where he presented current affairs programmes on radio and TV. Having published a number of books of poetry and two novels, in 2015 he stepped back from his media career to fully concentrate on his writing. The Distance Between Us sold over 35,000 copies in Peru alone and has been lauded in the Peruvian and international press. It was shortlisted for the Second Mario Vargas Llosa Biannual Award, longlisted for the Prix Médicis (2017) and was the winner of the Prix Transfuge du Meilleur Roman De Littérature Hispanique (2017). A prequel, You Shall Leave Your Land was also a bestseller in Spain and Latin America and was published by Charco Press in 2023. His most recent novel, El mundo que vimos arder (forthcoming with Charco Press, 2025) was a runner-up for the Alfaguara Prize. Renato Cisneros lives in Madrid.

Charco Press, 2023, 250pages.