Prayers for the Stolen

“[A] beautiful, heart-rending novel . . . fiercely observed . . . [Clement] achieves the formidable feat of smooth, clear English that pulses with an energy and sensibility that is convincingly Latin American. . . . A powerful read.”—The Wall Street Journal

“What can I say about this novel? That it’s extraordinary, electric, heartbreaking, profound? There aren’t enough adjectives to describe how moved I was by the story of Ladydi and her friends, of their tragic lives and quiet fortitude in spite of a world that conspires against them. Maybe it’s enough just to say this: Prayers for the Stolen is the best book I’ve read in years.”—Cristina Henríquez, author of The World in Half

“The author builds a powerful narrative whose images re-create an alarming reality that not everyone has dared to address but that everyone has definitely heard.”—El Paso Times

“Compelling . . . just beautiful.”—Diane Rehm, NPR

“With Ladydi, Jennifer Clement has created a feisty teenage heroine who is an unforgettable character.”—Good Housekeeping

“The theme of Prayers for the Stolen is the wanton violence inflicted on women and the destruction of communities as a result of the drug trade in Mexico, but Clement’s eye for the revealing detail, the simple poetry of her language, and the visceral authenticity of her characters turn that deadening reality into a compelling, tragically beautiful novel.”—Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi

“Highly original . . . [Clement’s] prose is poetic in the true sense: precise as a scalpel, lyrical without being indulgent.”—The Guardian

“What a marvelous writer Clement is. . . . [With] power in a prose that is simple and simply beguiling.”—The Scotsman

“Bold and innovative . . . The rich mixture of the outlandishly real and the hyperfabulistic has a certain superstitious power over the reader. Jennifer Clement employs poetry’s ability to mirror thought. . . . Superbly drawn.”—The Times Literary Supplement

“The most enchanting journey I’ve taken in a long, long time, and the most important. Prayers For The Stolen is a hand-guided tour through a ruthless true corner of our century, with characters so alive they will burrow into your heart. Stunningly written, magically detailed, you see, smell and taste the action on every page, feel every foible, and miss the candor of these funny, achingly human voices long after you put them down. As the heroine herself might say: not something to read but to lick off a plate.”—DBC Pierre, Booker Prize–winning author of Vernon God Little