Before publishing his much acclaimed novels I Dreamt the Snow was Burning and Burning Patience, Antonio Skármeta was best known in Latin America for his masterful short stories, which won the prestigious Casa de las Américas Prize.This Readers International collection first marked the return of Antonio Skármeta from exile and now marks the memory of 50 years since the coup that brought General Pinochet to power, toppling the elected government of Chile and bringing a stark choice of death or exile to so many Chileans.These virtuoso stories of passion and politics, hope and disillusionment in the New World, range from the Conquistadors to the present day and from Santiago to New York and California.