I think I read this in large measure because it was an award winner, and at the time, a few people were talking about it. That it dealt with a historical figure in Latin America also caught my eye. In my journal back then I wrote: >>. . .a historical novel about Paraguayan dictator 19th century dictator Francisco Solano Lopez and his Irish mistress Ella Lynch. The novel does present history in a dramatic way, good narrative, even if it borders a bit on "chick lit" (it is mostly from Ella's view, but not all). Francisco basically ruins the country in a war against other South American nations. Overall, it is a book I would recommend to those who like historical fiction. I borrowed this from the library I used to work at.
