BookBrowse Reviews The Accidentals by Guadalupe Nettel

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These slice-of-life stories explore the confines of domesticity and the quiet heartache of longing for a different life.

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An albatross relies on its powerful homing instincts to navigate its territory. If it strays too far or is displaced by a storm, it can become unmoored. Such birds are known as "accidentals," writes Mexican author Guadalupe Nettel in the title story of her new collection; and in most cases, they will spend the rest of their lives lost and disorientated, searching futilely for a sense of home. In these eight short stories, we are presented with a group of human "accidentals": people who feel disconnected from the life and people around them, yearning for change, escape, or connection.

The Accidentals was first published in Spanish in 2023 and was recently translated into English by Rosalind Harvey. There is a directness to Nettel's prose that highlights the acuity of her social and psychological observations, as she explores the gulf between our inner selves and the façade we present to others. Each of her eight narrators secretly harbors some kind of grief, longing, or loneliness that they attempt to hide from those around them. In the story "Life Elsewhere," for example, a man covets the seemingly idyllic life of a former classmate, envious of his beautiful apartment, successful career, and growing family. But the more he integrates himself into his friend's life, the more his relationship with his own wife suffers.

In another story, "Playing with Fire," a mother silently reckons with the fractures spreading throughout her family as her children enter their teens:

"I asked myself if I really knew these two boys who I had given birth to and raised so carefully for years. I thought too about how unjust allegiances can be—how while I was capable of renouncing any aspect of my life for my children, they had pacts of solidarity that excluded me."

The boys' increasingly rebellious behavior causes friction between her husband and their eldest son, and violence threatens to erupt. "As if my son were a tree oozing resin, I could feel the rage and sadness his body was emanating," the mother says. "I saw him as a being halfway between the boy he had been and the adult he was becoming."

The real standout is the opening story, "Imprinting." Following a chance encounter in a hospital, a young woman reconnects with her estranged uncle, who was ostracized under a cloud of mystery during her childhood. With the rest of her family horrified to learn of their new bond, long-buried secrets bubble to the surface—but are never quite revealed. The truth about her uncle's past behavior, only hinted at, carries huge implications for everyone involved. (As the protagonist of a different story says, "You can quantify the effects of tangible accidents, but internal blows leave imperceptible scars that are much harder to mend.") The story itself is a masterclass in restraint and the power of what remains unspoken, raising questions about whether a life based on lies is ever preferable to facing a painful reality.

While several stories have a subtle air of the uncanny, the collection falters slightly during its one and only foray into outright magical realism. In "The Pink Door," a man in his 60s stumbles upon a mysterious candy store. Its sweet treats grant the eaters' wishes, but with potentially devastating ripple effects. The striking concept is a well-executed example of the "monkey's paw" trope; but in a collection otherwise grounded in our reality, its inclusion feels somewhat jarring from a stylistic perspective.

Still, the collection remains an understated yet affecting look at the bittersweet bonds of family. In "A Forest Under the Earth," the disintegration of a family over time is mirrored by the dying tree in their yard. But just as the tree's roots cling to the last scraps of life, so too the family's roots ultimately keep them connected—for better or for worse. Throughout all eight stories, Nettel explores the sting of nostalgia for that which cannot be regained, the pain of chasing a future that may never come, and the danger of fixating on either at the expense of appreciating the present.

This review first ran in the June 4, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.