A Colombian philosophy student is arrested in Bangkok and accused of drug traf cking. He risks the death penalty, but what weighs most heavily on him, is a tender longing for his sister Juana. Before he dies he wants nothing more than to be reunited with her. As a boy, Manuel was a dreamer, a lover of literature, and a tagger. Juana promised to do everything in her power to protect him from the drug and violence-infested streets of Bogota. Determined to take him far away from Colombia, Juana took extreme measures to raise the money. When things spun out of control she was forced to flee, leaving her beloved brother behind.

Juana and Manuel’s story reaches the ears of the Colombian counsel general in New Delhi, who takes it upon himself to reunite the two siblings. A feat that may be beyond his power.

Fans of both Roberto Bolano and Gabriel Garcia Marquez will find much to admire in this story about the mean streets of Bogota, the sordid bordellos of Thailand, and a love between siblings that knows no end. With the stylishness that has earned him a reputation as one of the most important Colombian writers (Manuel Vazquez Montalban), Santiago Gamboa lends his story a driving, irresistible rhythm.