Peregrinaciones de una alma triste

Juana Manuela Gorriti (Argentina, 1818-1892), one of the most celebrated 19th-century Latin American novelists, is renowned for her literary salons in Lima and Buenos Aires and her prolific output of over seventy novels, memoirs, biographies, and short story collections. *Peregrinaciones de una alma triste* (1876), dedicated to the ladies of Buenos Aires, is presented as travel memoirs through a series of episodes narrated by Laura, a protagonist who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and liberation.

Laura's narrative vividly details her escape from a debilitating illness in Lima, finding health and well-being through continuous movement and challenging societal expectations. Disguised as a man for parts of her journey, she travels through Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Peru, encountering diverse individuals and hearing their stories of injustice and conflict.

The novel masterfully blends extensive descriptions of customs, landscapes, and culinary delights with accounts of vital human struggles. Intercalated stories, reminiscent of *One Thousand and One Nights*, explore themes of conflict, violence, and injustice, often contrasting with Laura's personal triumphs. Gorriti's work offers an optimistic human panorama, presenting life as a liberating journey and the human condition as a perpetual, yet adventurous, exile. This edition highlights Gorriti's unique blend of personal voice, historical themes, and her pioneering role in Latin American literature.