In Praise of the Stepmother

Set in Peru, Mario Vargas Llosa's erotic novel centers on Lucrecia and Rigoberto, an upper-middle-class couple who look conventional from outside but share an open and inventive sexual life. The harmony of their household is put at risk when Lucrecia becomes entangled with Fonchito, Rigoberto's young son. The novel reflects on lost innocence, sexual morality and what happiness is, and weaves essays and poetry into the story. It also describes and analyzes erotic paintings, notably works by Jacob Jordaens of Flanders and the Peruvian artist Fernando de Szyszlo, and an early edition reproduced classic artworks in color. The English translation by Helen Lane appeared in 1990.

Bogdana Butnar, head of strategy at Poke, listed it among the books that changed her in significant ways.