Fragmented Geographies

Love, Loss, and Life between the Biobío and the Danubio

This anthology embraces a physical stretch of land, sea, mountain, marsh, desert, and woods that lies between the two rivers, the Biobío originating in the Chilean Andes and flowing into the Pacific at Concepción, Chile, and the Danube flowing through Central and Southeastern Europe. This space is not measured in miles but in the spiritual and creative journeys of Jewish women writers from Latin America and the Balkans. Spanning novels, memoirs, and poetry, their diverse voices create a unique literary landscape where two seemingly distant regions find common ground in shared histories of refuge, marginality, and sanctuary.

This critical collection brings together powerful stories of resilience following immense trauma - from the survival of death camps and oppressive regimes to the realities of exile. The authors explore what it means to reinvent themselves dynamically and constantly with life in a new land, a new profession, and often, a new language.

The book includes contributions from Rosa Nissán, Myriam Moscona, Gordana Kuić, Ava Kadishson Schieber, Ruth Behar, Michèle Sarde, Andrea Jeftanovic, Angelina Muñiz Huberman, Mimoza Erebara, Luljeta Lleshanaku, Entela Kasi, Rita Gabbai-Simantov, Jelena Filipović, and Michal Held Delaroza.