Content Warning: The novel deals with themes of political and sexual violence, including rape, torture, and disappearance. Mentions of Nazism, the Holocaust, and other historical examples of genocide appear frequently.

The novel opens with an anonymous, first-person omniscient narrator. Reflecting on a tumultuous period of Argentina’s history—the seven-year military junta colloquially termed the “Dirty War”—the narrator remembers Carlos Rueda, a Buenos Aires native whose spiritual gifts helped reimagine the fates of many of Argentina’s disappeared. Though the narrator characterizes Argentinians as sophisticated and naturally skeptical, he suggests their openness to Carlos’s vision. Many bereaved families seek out Carlos in his home on Calle Cordova, hoping to discover the fates of their vanished loved ones. 

One night, Rubén and Clara Mendoza visit Carlos. They’ve lost their son, Pepe, daughter-in-law, Marianna, and baby granddaughter, Angela. Though the Mendozas attempt to move on, random places, sights, and objects often renew their grief, reminding them of the family they’ve lost. 

Per Carlos’s instructions, the Mendozas return home to wait. Eventually, someone knocks at the door. When Rubén answers it, he greets two mysterious men. As they speak, Rubén realizes that Carlos predicted this moment exactly. One man steps forward, bearing a small bundle.