The Refugee

Between satire and dystopia—keenly attuned to the times we live in—Gonzalo Garcés delivers an original narrative wager whose unsettling timeliness recalls Oscar Wilde’s famous phrase: “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.”

After a secession war in the mid-21st century, Argentina splits into two countries. One side declares independence and proclaims a new republic: the Free State. Its modern capital flaunts the wealth of this young and prosperous nation. On the “Argentine side,” things remain mired in backwardness, poverty, and oppression. For both nations, the other is the enemy: resentment, contempt, and a cultural battle that threatens to erupt into a new war.

In this landscape, a star journalist announces he is about to reveal an explosive truth about the Free State—yet before he can do so, he turns up dead. His admirer, Julián, decides to carry on the investigation. Along the way, he falls in love with Emilia, who at every step saves not only the investigation but Julián’s life as well. What they uncover forces a complete rethinking of Argentina’s history: since 1810, a secret society has been working to divide the country. Heroes of independence as well as renowned figures from industry, culture, and science all labored in secrecy to achieve this end.