Paperback Edition
ISBN: 9781936932825
Publication Date: 05-05-2020

Named one of the ten best fiction books of 2018 by the New York Times en Español, Cockfight is the debut work by Ecuadorian writer and journalist María Fernanda Ampuero.

In lucid and compelling prose, Ampuero sheds light on the hidden aspects of the home: the grotesque realities of family, coming of age, religion, and class struggle. A family’s maids witness a horrible cycle of abuse, a girl is auctioned off by a gang of criminals, and two sisters find themselves at the mercy of their spiteful brother. With violence masquerading as love, characters spend their lives trapped reenacting their past traumas.

Heralding a brutal and singular new voice, Cockfight explores the power of the home to both create and destroy those within it.

“Ampuero leads the international wave of Ecuadorian writers.” —New York Times en Español

“Ampuero writes with steely nerves and an ear for the beauty of simple, concrete language—not a word feels out of place.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Grotesque, unflinching. . . .This will appeal to fans of unrepentant feminist fiction.” —Publishers Weekly

“Deftly written with spare, exacting prose, Cockfight. . . .presents searing portraits of family life.” —Latino Book Review

“Wielded like a righteous cudgel against exploitative power, this Ecuadorian debut makes no bones about its intentions from the get-go. . . . Ampuero fights dirty and, frankly, that’s just the sort of writer we need.” —Center for the Art of Translation

"Through sparing prose and exacting detail, with no time for decoration or pomp, Ampuero delivers timeless feminist fiction that packs a punch and sticks with you like tar." —Sounds and Colors

“Heralding a brutal and singular new voice, Cockfight explores the power of the home to both create and destroy those within it.” —Independent Book Review

“Ampuero’s literary voice is tough and beautiful at once: her stories are exquisite and dangerous objects.” —Yuri Herrera, author of Signs Preceding the End of the World

“This is true literary horror that doesn’t tip into slasher territory, with confrontational, vivid characters.” —Mslexia

“Brutal! Very intense.” —Mariana Enríquez, author of Things We Lost in the Fire

“María Fernanda Ampuero’s voice is urgent, intimate, lyrical while never forgetting to cast humor during the darkest of violent moments. This is a writer of great power that the entire Americas will have to deal with for decades to come.” —Ernesto Quiñonez, author of Bodega Dreams

"The stories in Ampuero’s Cockfight vibrate with a singular voice, building a fictional universe dominated by violence and explorations of both power dynamics and exploitation. Ampuero’s brutal and animalistic prose haunted me. I can’t stop thinking about this book." —Cristina Rodriguez, Deep Vellum Books

Interested in reading this book with a group? Download group discussion questions for Cockfight here!