Hay que sonreír by Luisa Valenzuela

Extract

[...] Later, Clara travels to Miami and New York, where she forges professional relationships with personalities from the advertising world. Her interactions in these cities reflect her search for social ascension and her desire to separate herself from her past. Clara returns to Buenos Aires after her experiences abroad. Her return is marked by the desire to reinvent herself, but she still carries the mark of her past. For Clara, the sea represented a dream and a desire for escape and freedom, but it remains an unfulfilled desire. [...]

[...] Working in the factory was a way to survive, but it did not bring her any satisfaction. Her desire for change and a better life led her to leave her job. She started going regularly to the Retiro Park, a well-known place of prostitution. During this period, she meets El Rulito, nicknamed the 'Rizado'.". She exercises a certain influence over the women who prostitute themselves in the Park. Clara, in particular, seems to have a complex relationship with him, oscillating between control and dependence. [...]

[...] Her love, although intense, is marred by complications, including the presence of another woman in her life. Later, Clara returns to the Retiro Park, where she meets Alejandro, a client who becomes interested in her. Their relationship is marked by emotional exchanges and discussions about marriage, which ultimately lead Clara to live with him. This choice marks the beginning of a new happy and stable stage. However, Clara starts to doubt Alejandro's intentions. His lack of commitment makes her question the meaning of their relationship, which leads her to decide to leave him. [...]