The Sound of Things Falling

The Sound of Things Falling (2012) by Juan Gabriel Vasquez. Translated by Anne McLean. In the city of Bogota, Colombia, young lawyer Antonio Yammara befriends a man named Ricardo Laverde. As they walk down the street, they are attacked by a gun-wielding motorcycle driver. Yammara is severely wounded; Laverde is killed. After he recovers, Yammara delves into the history of Laverde, who is largely a mystery to him. He meets Laverde's daughter, Maya, and learns that Laverde was a big-time drug mule and that Laverde's American wife, Elaine, died in a plane crash as she was traveling back to Colombia to rejoin him. The story is involving, but it is translated in British English, and loses something in the translation. The syntax and vocabulary make the novel seem a bit stilted, but the exploration of Colombia's history during the drug war of the 20th century makes for interesting reading. Grade: B