Claire’s second novel is published by Atmosphere Press
Original, fascinating, exceptional, Alteration is an entertaining, engaging, and thought-provoking read from start to finish and one that showcases author Claire Ibarra's deftly crafted, character and narrative driven storytelling style. An extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick.
–Midwest Book Review
Here is a heartfelt and redemptive novel of love and loss, of grief and guilt, so exquisitely told that you want to stand up and cheer for Margaret and for the author who writes with such intelligence, grace, and tenderness.
–John Dufresne, My Darling Boy
Link to order: Alteration-Claire-Ibarra
Read Claire’s interview with Atmosphere Press: interview-with-claire-ibarra
New Edition of Fragile Saints is available!
Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad, writes, “A heartfelt debut, Fragile Saints follows the journey of a woman, bruised by betrayal and divorce, to her father’s ancestral home in Peru. Like the silkworms on the family farm, Elsa emerges from her cocoon transformed and ready to brave a new life. Fans of Isabel Allende will savor this lushly textured romance.”
Fragile Saints is a story of souls - the living and the dead – searching for their rightful resting place. With the same skill that silkworms weave their thread throughout this delightful read, Ibarra crafts a memorable love story that takes us on a sensual journey from California to Peru. Scenes rich with the sights, sounds, smells and beauty of the Peruvian countryside allow us to connect with the living and the dead – those fragile saints – who ultimately find their hidden strengths. As does the protagonist, Elsa. -Kathie Klarreich, author of Madame Dread: A Tale of Love, Vodou and Civil Strife in Haiti
Award Finalist
Fragile Saints was a finalist for the 2022 Colorado Authors League Book Award in the Literary/Mainstream Category.
This magical novel from Claire Ibarra is rich with beautiful descriptions and lush details. I was there with Elsa, watching the silk moths mate and plucking papayas from the tree. I felt her need for connection. “Her heart fluttered with the desire to live, to connect to her loved ones, and inside her chest it felt like the flapping of those desperate silk moths, so fragile yet eager to attract a mate before they fade away and die.” Fragile Saints is a layered, haunting novel that asks important questions and leaves you with hope.
-Claire Polders, author of Eternal Fair
