The Shadow of the Baron

About the Book

Laura Lavayén was born in Barlioche, Province of Rio Negro, Argentina, where she lived as a girl and as a teenager. Among the many circumstances experienced during her childhood, the author relates the lack of understanding, especially from her mother, who never agreed with her bahavior. The old ranch in the outskirts of Bariloche - where the family lived and where her father was a foreman - was one of her nightmares. Not far from the place where she used to play with her brothers and sister, they found broken remains that probably belonged to the former inhabitant in the area. Later on, they learn that they had belonged to a German Baron named Ludwig von Bülow. The Baron was a fanatic and kept repeating that, if Germany lost the war, he would commit suicide. He did. The Baron starved to death after destroying all his belongings brought from Germany. The only things left, very close to Laura's home, were a pine tree - also brought from Germany - and his grave surrounded by an iron railing. Soon after the Baron's death, people said that his spirit wandered in the area and this was a recurring nightmare for Laura. She also relates her struggle in an attempt to complete her primary school, living with relatives with whom her relationship was also extremely traumatic.

About the Author

Laura Lavayén, an American-Argentinean writer born in the touristic city of Bariloche, Argentina, lived in Buenos Aires before coming to Philadelphia in 1965, but never broke ties with the family in her native country. Her literary career began as a little girl writing stories that her mother thought she was copying from magazines or books. In her twenties, Lavayén won a prize in a literary contest in Argentina with a short novel. In the United States, she published a debut three novels during the 70’s and 80’s. Now retired, she has written three non-fiction books and two of fiction, all published in English and Spanish: The Shadow of the Baron, Hello Buenos Aires... Chao Buenos Aires, Hello USA!, Illegals, and Dogs, Owners of the City. Lavayén splits her time between the United States, most of the year, and Argentina, in the winter.