Instagram story viewer> @francesriddle11> Tagged

Frances Riddle

@francesriddle11

undefined

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Happy publication day to María Fernanda Ampuero's VISCERAL: ESSAYS, translated by Frances Riddle 🫀 ⁠
⁠
What does it mean to move with a woman’s body through a misogynistic world? María Fernanda Ampuero, one of the greatest writers of the new wave of Latin American gothic fiction, answers this question in this personal essay collection that’s part analysis, part confessional, and part horror story.⁠
⁠
Now available wherever you get your books, including via feministpress.org. Use code FLORENCE25 at checkout for 25% off your order.

113

3

“María Fernanda Ampuero opens her wounds for all to see. She has no mercy, and she is not a victim. This is how you do brave and defiant. And of course her writing is pure elegance and poetry.” —Mariana Enriquez (@marianaenriquez1973), author of OUR SHARE OF NIGHT⁠
⁠
María Fernanda Ampuero's VISCERAL: ESSAYS (tr. Frances Riddle) ON SHELVES TOMORROW!!! YOU READY?!⁠
⁠
📷: @graceagaynor

244

6

Book review

Visceral by María Fernanda Ampuero

Latine Heritage Month has come to an end, and I wanted to close it out with a book by one of my favorite authors! 💚

María explores womanhood, the body, violence, sexuality, shame, and the complicated ways we learn to see ourselves. Her writing is raw, personal, and unapologetic, and she isn’t afraid to tackle subjects that can be uncomfortable to talk about.

One of my favorite things about this collection is how honest it feels. The author doesn’t try to make painful experiences sound pretty or turn them into some inspirational lesson. She writes about the things we’re often taught to hide, the expectations placed on women, and the anger that comes with being expected to stay quiet. I appreciated how she allows these feelings to exist without trying to make them more acceptable to others.

I love reading books that challenge me to think differently, and this collection reminded me that literature doesn’t always have to offer answers or leave us feeling good. Sometimes, it simply needs to make us reflect on things we might otherwise overlook.

I also have to mention how much I loved the translation! I’ve listened to the audiobook in Spanish, and the translation in this edition was top tier! I really appreciate when a translated book manages to preserve the feeling and impact of the original writing, and I think that makes the reading experience even more special.

Overall, this was a 5 star read for me! I’m so glad I got to experience this collection, and I’m always happy to see more people discovering María Fernanda Ampuero’s work.

If you haven’t read her books yet, I highly recommend Cockfight and Human Sacrifices. Both are 5 star reads for me, and I can’t recommend her writing enough! 💚

Thank you so much to Feminist Press for sending me an ARC! Visceral releases on November 10, 2026, so be sure to add it to your TBR!

And a little reminder that we should be reading Latine books all year round, not just during Latine Heritage Month. There are so many incredible Latine authors and stories worth discovering, and our reading shouldn’t be limited to one month of the year!! 💚

#bookstagram

221

22

“Vibrant. . . . The forthright autobiographical essays of VISCERAL defend women’s bodies and marginalized people’s rights, thriving on righteous fuel.” —Foreword Reviews (starred review)⁠
⁠
Get ready for María Fernanda Ampuero's VISCERAL: ESSAYS on shelves next Tuesday, October 20 🫀⁠ Tr. Frances Riddle.⁠
⁠
📷️: @gracegaynor

100

4

I look over and what to my wandering eyes appears … 👀 (a lady reading this book). I’m intrigued. lol.

Young woman reading this on the Coney Island bound F train.

Human Sacrifices is a 2021 collection of twelve “tropical gothic” short stories by Ecuadorian writer María Fernanda Ampuero, translated into English by Frances Riddle.

Core Themes

• Systemic Exploitation: The stories show how marginalized working-class women, children, and immigrants pay the price for the comfort and safety of the elite.

• Violence and Patriarchy: The text explores dark realities tied to machismo, abuse, economic inequity, and colonial rot in Latin America and the U.S.

• Noteworthy Stories: “Biography” follows an undocumented female job seeker who becomes a hostage, while other entries deal with obsessed outcasts and sinister houseguests.

Genre: Feminist horror, dark fiction, short stories

#nycreads #books #horror

2

0

What's scarier than a Monday? María Fernanda Ampuero’s HUMAN SACRIFICES, translated by Frances Riddle!⁠
⁠
Simultaneously terrifying and exquisite, HUMAN SACRIFICES is “tropical gothic” at its finest—decay and oppression underlie our humid and hostile world, where working-class women and children are consistently the weakest links in a capitalist economy. Against this backdrop of corrosion and rot, these twelve stories contemplate the nature of exploitation and abuse, illuminating the realities of those society consumes for its own pitiless ends.⁠
⁠
Currently 25% off with code FLORENCE25 at checkout. ⁠
⁠
📷️: Maya Williams

82

2

#internationaltranslationday

...and how could we miss an opportunity to celebrate the conduits who bridge our worlds, languages and cultures together
Behind every breathtaking piece of translated fiction is an unsung hero. Translators don't just exchange words from one language to another, they transport entire universes, preserving the rhythm & soul of the original text so that it can echo across borders

While a day isn't enough to celebrate their constant efforts, we should not let the opportunity to put a spotlight on them

Here is your guide to A to Z Translators, the languages they are working for and a glimpse of techniques they use while translating

While the carousel names only one Translator per letter to give each feature the spotlight it deserves, this is just the tip of the literary iceberg. The sheer volume of talent bridging global voices is boundless

Anita Gopalan, Arunava Sinha, Antonella Lettieri, Ann Goldstein, Antonia Lloyd-Jones, Angela Rodel, Anton Hur, Annie McDermott,

Daisy Rockwell, Deepa Bhasthi, Deborah Smith, Damion Searls, Daniel Hahn

Ellen Jones

Izidora Angel

Julia Sanches, Jhumpa Lahiri, Jennifer Croft

Laure Vergnaud

Megan McDowell, Monica Cure, Mark Hutchinson, Mia Spangenberg, Marita Thomsen

Oltilie Mulzet

Padma Viswanathan

Robin Myers

Sayari Debnath, Sarah Booker, Sophie Hughes, Sinan Antoon, Sami Hezil

Thomas Teal

William Johnston

...are some more names that definitely deserve the applause for all the work they do

I'm more than happy to add more and more names to this ever growing pool. Suggestions absolutely welcome

Let's read more and more translated literature and intentionally seek out global perspectives, diversify our bookshelves and champion the incredible conduits who work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring us these stories

135

44

In the final stages of reviewing the proofs! Once We Were Cuba (Lo que fuimos ayer) will be out May 11, 2027. #OnceWeWereCuba #Loquefuimosayer #armandolucascorrea

155

48

BOOK REVIEW

Cathedrals — Claudia Piñeiro

Translated by Frances Riddle

Thirty years ago, the charred mutilated remains of 17 year old Ana Sardá are found. But the case of her murder is never solved. Decades later, her remaining family have gone their separate paths, haunted by the unresolved events of the past. Told through multiple perspectives, Cathedrals gradually pieces together what happened to Ana all those years ago. Each narrator holds a different fragment of the story and what begins as a murder mystery quickly becomes something far more complex.

This book was a sharp exploration of religious hypocrisy, specifically of those who become so preoccupied with sin and judgement that they fail to recognise their own self-righteousness. Love and loyalty become incredibly powerful forces in
this story, influencing not only individual choices but the dynamics within the devoutly Catholic Sardá household.

As the story progressed, I began to suspect where the final revelation might be heading, but that did little to lessen the impact. The ending was incredibly dark and when the truth about Ana’s death finally emerged, the many seemingly disparate pieces of the novel horrifyingly came into place.

What ultimately makes Cathedrals so compelling is that solving the mystery of Ana’s death is only one part of the story. Piñeiro is just as interested in the people left behind and the stories they have told themselves in order to keep living. It is a dark and layered family drama about religious piety, bodily ownership, societal respectability and the uncomfortable question of how far we might go to protect the people we love and our own desires.

#claudiapineiro #cathedralsclaudiopineiro #charcopress #translatedliterature #womenintranslation

3

10

| (not a) mini b o o k r e v i e w |

Cathedrals is infuriating, moving, loud, and quiet all at once and I completely loved it. These are all the pieces to a book that makes it a perfect read for myself.

Translated by Frances Riddle, this might be Piñeiro’s most sublime work yet. It takes its title and center metaphor from Raymond Carver’s famous short story Cathedral, playing on the idea of learning to see beyond physical reality and trusting your gut. You don’t need to read Carver to get this novel, but if you have, that theme of perception really hits home. I personally have added this to the top of my personal TBR.

The story dives straight into a family nightmare. Ana, the youngest of three Sardi sisters, is brutally murdered at 17 leaving her zealously Catholic family utterly shattered. Thirty years later, the middle sister Lía is living in Spain and completely estranged from her pious mother and cold, rigid older sister Carmen. But out of nowhere, Lía gets a visitor and this is how the entire story unfolds from here — grossly stunning.

Instead of giving us your typical fast-paced thriller (which I’m not a fan of) the story unspools the truth slowly, rotating through the perspectives of Lía, Carmen, Carmen’s husband, the lead investigator, Ana’s best friend, and Alfredo. It’s a chunk of literature that displays the brutal indictment of religious zealotry, gender violence, and how doctrine gets weaponized against women. Piece by piece we are shown that the truth comes to light by the end.
[ cont. in comments ]

5 ★

61

13

Attending the Day of Translation at @center4fiction this year? 💫

Our Day of Translation panelists have put together a multimedia list to introduce their panel’s core themes. From articles that discuss the intersections among disability, translation, and language to a study folder on a co-learning Assembly language, panelists share resources that might deepen your experience during or after this year’s event.

🔗 Read the full list of recommendations and get ready for the Day of Translation on Sept. 27 in-person at @center4fiction in Brooklyn, NY or rsvp to livestream from anywhere! Link in bio. Graphic featuring book covers recommended by Day of Translation panelists.

66

0

It's Labor Day weekend in the US, which means an extra day to post up and read! 🤓 Over at WWB, here's a sample of the books we're reading and enjoying... both staff and our animal companions.

THE ROOF BENEATH THEIR FEET by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi by Rahul Soni

THE HOUSEGUEST by Amparo Dávila, translated from Spanish by Audrey Harris and Matthew Gleeson

OF CATTLE AND MEN by Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Zoë Perry

BERLIN BABEL: STORIES OF THE CITY BY BERLINERS OLD AND NEW, edited by Katy Derbyshire

CATHEDRALS by Claudia Piñeiro, translated from Spanish by Frances Riddle

KILLING STELLA by Marlen Haushofer, translated from German by Shaun Whiteside

133

0