The People of Paper is an astonishing debut novel about the anguish
of lost love. Author Salvador Plascencia, a "once-in-a-generation
talent" (George Saunders), weaves together the stories of a large cast
of colorful characters, including: a disgruntled monk, a gang of
carnation pickers, and a woman made of paper.
"Wonderful and comically inventive." --The New York Times Book
Review
Federico de la Fe is a devoted husband and father, but when his
lime-loving wife, Merced, abandons him, he and his daughter, Little
Merced (who also loves limes), must start a new life together. They
leave their home in Mexico and head for California. There they settle
among a community of flower pickers, where Federico de la Fe's sadness
festers, and Little Merced develops a dangerous addiction to limes.
All the while an oppressive force bears down on the town. When the
identity of this mysterious oppressor is finally revealed, the story
takes an unexpected turn and moves toward its magical, breathtaking end.