On a Night of a Thousand Stars

By: Andrea Yaryura Clark

Narrated by: Paula Christensen

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

In this moving, emotional narrative of love and resilience, a young couple confronts the start of Argentina's Dirty War in the 1970s, and a daughter searches for truth twenty years later.

New York, 1998. Santiago Larrea, a wealthy Argentine diplomat, is holding court alongside his wife, Lila, and their daughter, Paloma, a college student and budding jewelry designer, at their annual summer polo match and soiree. All seems perfect in the Larreas’ world—until an unexpected party guest from Santiago's university days shakes his usually unflappable demeanor. The woman's cryptic comments spark Paloma’s curiosity about her father’s past, of which she knows little.

When the family travels to Buenos Aires for Santiago's UN ambassadorial appointment, Paloma is determined to learn more about his life in the years leading up to the military dictatorship of 1976. With the help of a local university student, Franco Bonetti, an activist member of H.I.J.O.S.—a group whose members are the children of the desaparecidos, or the “disappeared,” men and women who were forcibly disappeared by the state during Argentina’s “Dirty War”—Paloma unleashes a chain of events that not only leads her to question her family and her identity, but also puts her life in danger.

In compelling fashion, On a Night of a Thousand Stars speaks to relationships, morality, and identity during a brutal period in Argentinian history, and the understanding—and redemption—people crave in the face of tragedy.

©2022 Andrea Yaryura Clark (P)2022 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"This novel sheds light on a dark chapter in Argentina's history, the effects of the country's worst dictatorship, and the consequences for those left behind and those who survived." (Greer Hendricks, New York Times best-selling coauthor of The Wife Between Us)

"A powerful debut about a chapter in history that must be told." (Janice Y.K. Lee, New York Times best-selling author of The Expatriates and The Piano Teacher)

"In luminescent prose and exquisite detail, Andrea Yaryura Clark chronicles a family's history through the political turmoil of Argentina's Dirty War and beyond. Both heart-rending and hopeful, On a Night of a Thousand Stars explores the strength and endurance of love and familial bonds in the face of chaos and tragedy. A deeply moving, timely and important debut." (Cristina Alger, New York Times best-selling author of Girls Like Us)

Wonderfully written

I enjoyed this book so much. It is a masterful story. Didn’t want it to end.

Riveting plot - historical fiction

I enjoyed the story and learned about Argentina’s dirty war. Narrator with beautiful accent. Recommend

Ok book, helped me learn about Argentinian politic

Audible Book

I must admit that I have biases, so when the story opened at a political match in Long Island, I doubted this book would be for me. But I continued to listen.

The center of the story is Paloma Larrea, the college student daughter of Argentinian parents, Santiago and Lila. Her father has just been appointed the Argentine diplomat to the United Nations, and the wealthy Larreas are about to travel to Buenos Aires.

The political situation in 1998 Argentina is still shaky, and dissent still unwelcome when they arrive. In taking note of strange but almost unnoticeable occurrences, Paloma begins to question her father. Soon, she finds herself looking into people from her father's past.

The story moves between the unrest of the 70s when Peron returns to power and the present situations (1998,) and Paloma finds herself needing help in uncovering her father's past from dissenters she meets. She learns about the disappeared and the story of Valentina, a college student, then architect it those tumultuous days.

I can't say this book was great, but it held my interest. I know nothing of Argentina's political past or present, and I now need to remedy this.

Amazing first novel by an outstanding young author

Loved the story and the narrator, too. Learned some unhappy history as the story unfolds

Surprised

On the start, I didn't think I would like this, but was really surprised that I couldn't wait to keep listening. I did however kept waiting for someone to break out singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" LOL

An Argentinian Love Story

Very well developed characters and plot will keep you engrossed and guessing at the end.

Great

Enjoyed the narrator and the story line. Great story and characters. Transported you as part of the story.

Not my favorite

I stuck with the book mainly to see how the relationships ended. Some of the historical things were interesting, but not compelling. I thought the book was well written. I loved the narrator. It was a pleasure hear her pronunciations of the dialects. As I said, not my favorite.

Silence is not health

A truth I had never heard before.
Well done ...history through story can be eye opening we done well!
The narrator is phenomenal, so many voices.
I wait with hopeful anticipation for Andrea's next book and Paula's next narration.

Gut wrenching

A fictional story of the all too true events that took place in Argentina during the brutal dictatorships of the 1970s - 1980s. I liked the premise and the characters were well developed - The settings in the rural areas make me want to go spend a month or so exploring that vast and beautiful country.
For once, the narrator has a perfect accent when pronouncing the names of people and places. Brava!