Freedom Is a Feast

By: Alejandro Puyana

Narrated by: Luis Selgas, Blas Kisic, Graciela Valderrama, Ana Osorio

A Finalist for the Westport Prize for Literature

A multigenerational, Latin American saga of love and revolution in which a rebel who commits a youthful betrayal receives a late-life chance at redemption and a new life: “a tour de force” from “the new master” (Luis Alberto Urrea, New York Times bestselling author of Good Night, Irene).

In 1964, Stanislavo, a zealous young man devoted to his ideals, turns his back on his privilege to join the leftist movement in the jungles of Venezuela. There, as he trains, he meets Emiliana, a nurse and fellow revolutionary. Though their intense connection seems to be love at first sight, their romance is upended by a decision with consequences that will echo down through the generations.

Almost forty years later, in a poor barrio of Caracas, María, a single mother, ekes out a precarious existence as a housekeeper, pouring her love into Eloy, her young son. Her devotion will not be enough, however, to keep them from disaster. On the eve of the attempted coup against President Chávez, Eloy is wounded by a stray bullet, fracturing her world. Amid the chaos at the hospital, María encounters Stanislavo, now a newspaper editor. Even as the country itself is convulsed by waves of unrest, this twist of fate forces a belated reckoning for Stanislavo, who may yet earn a chance to atone for old missteps before it’s too late.

With its epic scope, gripping narrative, and unflinching intimacy, Freedom Is a Feast announces a major new talent. Alejandro Puyana has delivered a wise and moving debut about sticking to one’s beliefs at the expense of pain and chaos, about the way others can suffer for our misdeeds even when we have the best of intentions, and about the possibility for redemption when love persists across time.

©2024 Alejandro Puyana (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"Epic doesn’t begin to describe this extraordinary novel. Freedom Is a Feast is as vivid and wondrous as your best dream, as unsettling and unforgettable as your worst. They say you can’t fit the entire world into a novel, but Puyana comes close. What a gift he has given readers, what a profound, shattering, inspiring gift.”—Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and This Is How You Lose Her

”'Born storyteller' gets thrown around too easily, but how else would we believe that this is a debut? Freedom Is a Feast is fearlessly ambitious, dizzyingly complex, gorgeously written, and chock full of magic, sin, loss, and enduring love. A novel like this comes with fantastic precedent—García Márquez, Allende—but seems to have arrived fully formed, all by its dazzling self.”—Marlon James, Booker Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author of A Brief History of Seven Killings and Black Leopard, Red Wolf

"Freedom Is a Feast is a rare and explosive novel about the lengths to which the human heart will go for what is just and what is right. Alejandro Puyana announces himself as a major new talent with this unflinching debut of love, revolution, and family.”—Kali Fajardo-Anstine, National Book Award finalist for Sabrina & Corina

The depth of characters

This novel’s compelling plot spans multiple generations and provides each character with layers of motivation and depth. I was entertained, moved, and educated on the complex history of Venezuela and the relationship of Chavez with his people and country. Wonderful book!

Captivating story

A memorable and captivating story about Venezuela. The author Alejandro does a wonderful job placing the reader inside the country, and offering context into the minds of revolutionaries and the people they love.

powerful and captivating

One of the most compelling aspects of *Freedom is a Feast* is how Puyana manages to weave historical and political realities into the fabric of the love story. The characters are not just swept along by the events around them; they are actively shaped by them, reflecting the ways in which the personal lives of Venezuelans are impacted by the forces of its history. This makes the narrative feel grounded and urgent, resonating with readers who may or may not be familiar with Venezuela's contemporary struggles.

Boring, no depth

Lame characters, stereotypical narrative arch, boring. Read half of it to discover the characters are just flat ones you’ve seen before. And the nativity of the revolutionary story is just lame.