The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepulveda

Recommended to me by another Book Club member, this novella is an uplifting read. Short as it is, it has many facets, telling the tale of an old man living in the Amazonian jungle. Although almost illiterate, Antonio adores love stories and laboriously reads the romantic novels given to him. His life is, however, turned upside down when he is forced to hunt a jaguar which has turned into a man killer after her cubs have been savagely and needlessly murdered. I loved this wonderfully haunting fable that is as sweet as it is bitter.