A rich historical novel - part love story and part tragedy - about the Irish courtesan Eliza Lynch, and how she became mistress to one of South America's first, and most extravagant, dictators. 1854. In Paris, Francisco Solano - the future dictator of Paraguay - picks up a blue feather fallen from the hat of a beautiful woman. With this small gesture begins his pursuit of the remarkable Irish courtesan Eliza Lynch. Captivated by a unique courtship involving a poncho and a Paraguayan band, Eliza follows Francisco to Paraguay where she reigns as his mistress. Isolated and estranged in this new world, she embraces her lover's ill-fated imperial dream - one fuelled by a heedless arrogance that will devestate all of Paraguay, and throw this European woman into a world of unprecedented privilege, ruthless exploitation and even revolution...With the urgency of the narrative, the rich romantic detail, and a wealth of skillfully layered characters, The News from Paraguay recalls the vibrant colour of Isabel Allende and the epic sweep of Mario Vargas Llosa.

Author Biography

Lily Tuck was born in Paris and is the author of three previous novels -- Interviewing Matisse, The Woman Who Walked on Water and the PEN/Faulkner award finalist Siam -- as well as a collection of stories, Limbo, and Other Places I Have Lived. Her fiction has appeared in the New Yorker and the Paris Review. She lives in New York City.