Affections
SynopsisPlot
Inspired by real events, Affections is the story of the eccentric, fascinating Ertl clan, headed by the egocentric and extraordinary Hans, once the cameraman for the Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. Shortly after the end of World War II, Hans and his family flee to Bolivia to start over. There, the ever-restless Hans decides to embark on an expedition in search of the fabled lost Inca city of Paitití, enlisting two of his daughters to join him on his outlandish quest into the depths of the Amazon, with disastrous consequences.
Story
About this book
Affections is a short novel by Rodrigo Hasbún, drawn from the real history of Hans Ertl, a German cinematographer who worked with Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. After the Second World War, Ertl and his family relocated to Bolivia to begin a new life. The novel follows the family across the 1950s and 1960s, a period of both political optimism and upheaval in South America. Hans remains driven by grand, reckless ambitions, and at one point leads two of his daughters on an expedition into the Amazon in search of the legendary lost Inca city of Paititi. The venture ends badly.
The story traces each family member along a separate path. Hans pursues enormous projects that tend toward spectacular failure. His daughter Monika, who shares his restless temperament, eventually joins Bolivian Marxist guerrillas and becomes known in connection with the legacy of Che Guevara. His wife and two younger daughters are left to manage the damage created by Hans and Monika's choices.
Hasbún uses multiple voices and perspectives to chart how the family gradually comes apart. The title points to the bonds that once held the Ertls together and the slow erosion of those bonds under the pressure of ego, ideology, and distance.
