THE BALLAD OF YACOB PIRO

Jean Ciantar

Les Avrils, 336 pages, 2025

Why you should take a look at it:
√ A captivating debut novel of remarkable depth and beauty

√ Immersive and dazzling prose

√ A masterful reworking of the neo-Western literature genre

Approaching his thirties, Yacob Piro lives alone somewhere in a rural area of a country that is never named, at a time left undisclosed. He works hard but sporadically, ends his days at the bar, and camps on weekends in the surrounding wilderness in the company of his beloved dog, Theresa. At night, he goes to Minnelli, a club where men meet discreetly. His physical strength and quiet dignity have allowed him to carve out a peaceful if solitary existence in a small conservative town—his fierce independence a way of survival.

Yet for years, a tragedy has haunted him. In high school, he had a brief intimate encounter with David, a fellow student who thereafter committed suicide. The novel begins a decade later, when Yacob learns that the true mission of the camp over the Mexican border where David spent his summers was in fact to cure his “deviance” through prayer and work. This revelation moves Yacob to leave his life behind in search of the camp to seek reparation for his lost friend.

Through a main character endowed with the taciturn aura of a cowboy, Jean Ciantar boldly revisits the neo-Western genre but makes it entirely his own. With poignant accuracy and profound sensitivity, The Ballad of Yacob Piro sweeps the reader into the world of a guarded yet free man who knows himself but has not yet found his place. His quest for belonging takes him on another journey, one fueled by a desire for justice. With its unforgettable characters and dazzling prose, Ciantar’s deeply moving novel signals the arrival of a significant new literary voice.

The Ballad of Yacob Piro is Jean Ciantar’s first novel.