After the release of her debut novel “No día do seu enterro” (“On his Burial Day”, Editorial Galaxia, 2022), writer, musician, and educator Cristina Pato returns to Galician bookstores with her latest title, “Fóra de foco” (Out of Focus).
In this new novel, Pato immerses us in the story of Marieta Carracedo, a journalist from Madrid who becomes obsessed with the mystery surrounding photographer Basil Cancela—a New York artist who, at the height of her career, abruptly vanishes from the public eye and destroys her own work. Marieta’s search for the reasons behind such a radical decision leads her on a journey that goes far beyond investigative reporting: it becomes an intimate exploration that forces her to question the very foundations of her own life.
Set between New York’s West Village, Galicia, and Madrid, “Fóra de foco” offers a sharp and contemporary reflection on modern life and its tensions: the relationship between public and private, between professional ambition and personal solitude, between creation and erasure.
With a restrained style and lucid perspective, Cristina Pato delivers an introspective novel built around silences, choices, and vital boundaries. A book that invites slow reading and deep reflection.
What leads an artist to destroy her own work?
“Fóra de foco” will be available soon in Galician bookstores.