This is the story of my mother and her friend Juan, of how she discovered books and he the light of day.

So begins Clara and the Man With Books in His Window. In this beautifully illustrated book, set in rural 1920s Argentina, Hans Christian Andersen Award–winning author María Teresa Andruetto shares the true story of how her mother, Clara, the daughter of a poor laundress, meets Juan, a wealthy and bookish recluse who never leaves his house because he is afraid society will not accept who he really is.

A powerful tale about friendship and about the world available to us when we open a book, but also when we have the courage to be our true selves, Clara and the Man With Books in His Window was selected by the ALIJA and the Fundación Cuatro Gatos as the best book of the year. Now available for the first time in English, it is destined to transfix readers young and old.