Description
Aside from My Heart, All is Well
A moving and deeply human novel about friendship, faith, art, and the fragile beauty of life from Héctor Abad, the acclaimed author of Oblivion.
With his signature warmth and compassion, Héctor Abad delivers a powerful story that celebrates human connection, resilience, and the ways art can illuminate even the most difficult moments of existence.
Luis Cordóba—known affectionately as Gordo—has built a life that defies expectations. Although he serves as a priest, his passions extend far beyond the church. He is a devoted film critic, teacher, opera lover, and a joyful enthusiast of simple pleasures like chocolate and pepperoni. Living in his old family home in central Medellín with fellow priest Aurelio Sánchez, known as Lelo, Gordo shares his days with an unusual collection of pets and the rhythms of a life shaped by curiosity, culture, and compassion.
It is Lelo who tells Gordo’s story, writing across time and memory until reaching the moment in 1996 that transforms everything. At the age of fifty, Gordo discovers he needs a heart transplant. Suddenly restricted from climbing stairs and forced to reconsider the way he lives, he moves to another neighborhood with a close friend, her housekeeper, and their children. In this new chapter of his life, Gordo discovers different ways of thinking, feeling, and experiencing the world.
Inspired by the life of Colombian priest and film critic Luis Alberto Álvarez, a significant figure in Colombia’s cultural landscape and a friend of Abad’s, the novel blends reality and imagination to create a richly layered portrait. Rather than offering a traditional biography, Abad draws from multiple sources to create Luis Cordóba—a character who carries echoes of Álvarez while becoming someone entirely his own.
Tender, reflective, and filled with humanity, Aside from My Heart, All Is Well is a celebration of love, friendship, creativity, and the enduring strength found in the connections we share with others.
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