Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. I really wanted to read and like this book. I'm from Argentina, originally, and I was born and lived my first years during the '70s so I know the story pretty well. My family suffered the atrocities of those days in the flesh. The book and the characters are really flat and I found more than one historical inaccuracies (Evita's cause of death, for example). When you find an historical inaccuracy in a HF book, it is very hard to trust the rest and the author's documentation. Also, I found a lot of common places and cliches about Argentine people and Buenos Aires lifestyle.
I'm giving it three stars instead of two because I understand that we are talking about a debut novel and, as such, it is a well written piece. Again, I'm left wanting for more depth and accuracy.

On the eve of Santiago Larreas appointment as the UN Ambassador to Argentina he travels back to his country with his daughter Paloma and his wife Lila, while at a party a former acquaintance of Santiago tells Paloma how her brave father was instrumental in hiding people from the ones who wanted them to disappear. Paloma gets involved with Franco Benetti who belongs to a group whose relatives have disappeared during the 1970’s dirty war, if you had opinions that differed from the dictatorship you became one of the “disappeared”, never to be seen or heard from again. Paloma’s digging puts everyone in danger 20 years after the events occurred.
This book was a history lesson on Argentinan history that I didn’t’ have all the facts on. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because at times it was difficult to read.

Special thanks too Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

I blame my no knowledge account of Argentina's Dirty War on my history teachers. Shameful, that I didn't know about this time and all the people who disappeared (thousands upon thousands and in horrific ways) and no, I don't think it was my parents who should've schooled me on this. But teachers, especially since I was living as a youngster at the time of it. Very heartbreaking. A little heavy for me. This story follows the Larrea family who are well established now. Their daughter Paloma, at a party, is told of her father's bravery and saving people in Argentina's Dirty War by a family friend, which her father is not too happy about. Paloma can't forget and fancies herself a detective, as I guess I would, my father being a waar hero himself, I can relate. (world war II)

The story was heavy and heartbreaking. But I'm grateful because I learned something new that I guess I was sheltered from and maybe should've had better history teachers.

Warning: Very heavy. Good thing I was in the mood for this book, I think you have to be to read it.

A novel that explores 1990s Argentina and the atrocities commited during those years. A sympathetic account that not only paints a picture of what happened, but also explores the ramifications over time. Well written, but a bit heavy for my current bookish taste.

This book was a bit too text heavy for me and didn't keep me overly invested. I think it's well done just not for me.

This book delves into the era of the Argentinian "Dirty War" and the thousands of people forcibly "disappeared" during that time.
We follow the Larrea family- Santiago and Lila, and their adult daughter Paloma- in the late 90's as Santiago returns to his native Argentina from America to accept a UN position. Highly regarded in elite society, the family has quite the surprise when their party is interrupted by an old friend. Grace has secrets to share, and Paloma wants to get to the bottom of them.
At the same time we see what life was like in the late 70's for a young Santiago in Argentina. Political discourse abounds, people disappear left and right, and everyone's lives seem to hang in the balance.
I didn't know a whole lot about this era in history in South America and it was interesting to hear about the people who disappeared. This book was beautifully written, tugged at the heartstrings, and made me want to know more about Argentina's Dirty War and the innocent people who are affected to this day.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the eARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Relayed in a dual-timeline format, A Night of a Thousand Stars tells the story of Argentina’s Dirty War in the 1970s and the long-term impact on its citizens and those left behind. During this era, many individuals were “disappeared” by the government leaving families to wonder what happened to their love ones. Toggling between 1970s Buenos Aires and 1998 New York, the book follows the Larrea family as its members make sacrifices and decisions in order to survive and protect themselves and their loved ones from the random disappearances experienced during this brutal era and chronicles the toll those choices eventually take on everyone involved. A Night of a Thousand Stars shines the light on a tragic era in Argentina’s history and demonstrates the long-lasting consequences of violence and other atrocities.

On a Night of a Thousand Stars takes place in 1976 and 1998. In 1976, Santiago Lerea is a law student from a prosperous family in Argentina. In 1998, he and his wife Lila live very well in the United States with a house in the Hamptons and an apartment in Manhattan. Thye have one daughter, Paloma, who lives in Brooklyn and is in college. What drew me to read this book, was that these years were my law school and young adult years, including when I was raising my child and reading about the Argentine disappeared. It was an in your face painful period to read about and emotionally has never left me.

By way of background, in the late 1970s through the early 1980s, a military junta in Argentina fought a war of kidnapping, torturing, raping and disappearing as many as 30,0000 of its its own citizens: some were vocal activists or revolutionaries, some the families and friends of these more active people, and some that could not be categorized by more than their art or their volunteer work or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many were students but certainly not all. Whole families were taken. Priests shot. No parent or grandparent or spouse or partner could discover their loved one's fate during that time and much remains unknown. Some of this was in the news in my own post-high school years in college and law school. Now it is in the news again as DNA is being used forensically to identify the bodies that have been found over the years. And always, my heart ached over these stories.

Clark writes a story that both captures this period and its aftermath. It is both engaging and compelling and tells the story, but is mostly not hard to read. This is quite a feat! In 1998, Santiago, Lila and Paloma go to Argentina for a visit and for his investiture as the ambassador to the United Nations for Argentina.Paloma is casually dating an Argentine polo player so she plans to spend part of her time in Buenos Aires while her parents are at the family ranch/farm with her grandfather. She has only casual knowledge of this travesty but an old friend of her father's shows up at a huge gathering in the Hamptons and she hints to Paloma that her father somehow saved or spared some lives during the 1970s period of the junta's activities. Her father shows extreme displeasure with Grace, who leaves the party. As Paloma runs to say goodbye to Grace, Grace recommends an author to her.

On a Night of a Thousand Stars becomes a detective story and a coming of age story as Paloma seeks to learn more about her father and the period he is so quiet about. I found the writing spare but compelling and while I can't claim an emotional connection to Paloma what I found was a deep interest in her story, her parents' stories, their friends' stories and the stories of the children and grandchildren of the desaparecidos, still seeking answers and today in 2022 they are till seeking answers. As she learns about her father, his friends, one of his girlfriends and more, she joins up with Franco, whose mother disappeared and whose father was killed on the spot. He has experience and connections with finding some answers as part of an activist group calling attention the the fact that over ten years after the overthrow of the junta, relatives of the disappeared still knew almost nothing. And one document at a time, one witness at a time, one photo at a time, Paloma learns a complicated story that makes this a wonderful and compelling read.

Paloma, the daughter of Santiago, an Argentine diplomat, is instantly intrigued when she meets a person from her father's past. The stranger suggests that her father's past is more heroic than she could have none. When the family travels to Argentina, Paloma is determined to uncover more of the story. There, she meets Franco, an activist member who are composed of children of the disappeared. Alternating with the past, things are heating up politically. Santiago, a university student, in unsure what to do when people around him begin to disappear.

I knew very little about Argentina and the Dirt War before reading this novel. I found this book well paced, fascinating, and hard to put down. While Santiago's story was more compelling, the modern day story served to unite the generations and explain the past. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

found this book very difficult to review. I was fascinated by the history of Argentina during the 1970s. As someone who loves historical fiction and has a degree in history, the Argentinian Dirty War was fascinating to learn about - and something I have learned very little about. Unfortunately, I found the story and characters in the book flat and boring. I wanted more personality and details on the characters and their lives than the book gave.

The book alternates between 1998 and 1976. 1998 follows Paloma Larrea, a college student in New York and daughter to Santiago, a wealthy Argentine diplomat. On a trip to visit her grandfather in Buenos Aires, Paloma begins to investigate her father’s past, but the history of Argentina and her family. 1976 follows Santiago and his experiences during the “Dirty War.” The stories converge and not only unearth secrets about Paloma and her family but also put her life at risk.

I would recommend that anyone interested in learning about a little discussed part of history, that you should read On A Night of A Thousand Stars. If you are looking for a story that you are going to get lost in and characters that you are going to love, this is probably not the book for you.

This was my first book by Andrea Yaryura Clark and I highly recommend it! A dual timeline historical fiction set in 1975 Argentina in the backdrop of the political instability of the time; contrasted with a young woman, Paloma Larrea, as she seeks to discover more about her family ties to Argentina in 2020. The story unfolds easily, enveloping you in the imagery of the characters and their lives. The descriptions of the people who were forcefully disappeared is rightfully heart wrenching and their abuse graphic, but well-done so as to have a purpose vs inclusion for shock value only. I loved Paloma and her story as she discovers herself in her family’s history. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Told in dual timelines, On A Night Of A Thousand Stars tells the story of a young couple and a daughter. The couple is Santiago and Valentino who live through the start of Argentina’s Dirty War in the 1970s, and the daughter is Paloma Larrea who searches for the truth about her family twenty years later.
The Larrea family is rich, so that's annoying, and the people who support them are listed merely by title like housekeeper. Quite frankly, Santiago is spoiled and a jerk.
I did like Paloma's perseverance. Again, her family's money and privilege allowed her to find answers. Otherwise, she would never know the truth.
The information about the Dirty War was interesting to me. I'd not heard of it before, and the book led me to further research. But for the grace of God go we today.
The book flows fairly well. Some parts seem rushed, including the ending, while other parts meander. I'm glad the romance is subdued - not my favorite part of books. I did enjoy reading the book and wanted to see how the story resolved.

In this dual timeline story, Paloma and her ex-pat family return to Argentina prior to her dad's start as a consulate official in Buenos Aires in 1998. However, when Paloma learns a secret about her father, Santiago, she begins digging into his past in Buenos Aires in the 1970s, as student protests and political violence grew amidst the widespread "disappearing" of political and cultural dissidents.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: historical fiction with a side of romance, political thriller, and literary fiction
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Pub Date: March 1, 2022

Wow! This book was an incredible piece of historical fiction. While I was broadly familiar with the desaparacidos (the disappeared) and Argentine politics of the 1970s, this provided a deep dive into the politics and culture of Argentina during this era, while also showing the continued legacy of this era in the 1990s, as families still tried to reconcile their losses. It's so clearly well-researched and impactful as historical fiction.

With that said, the first half of this book felt quite slow - it was a slog, albeit an enjoyable slog! The middle third started to pick up and the last third I couldn't put it down. It's definitely a book you have to hang in there for. If not for this early slog, this would have easily been a 5-star read for me!

I loved how this book mixed adventurous sleuthing and romance alongside some political thriller feels. It definitely throws you into a world of political turmoil (1970s) and personal turmoil (1990s) to create a really poignant story. This really sets a bar for atmospheric historical fiction!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ uncovering family mysteries
⭕️ learning more about Latin American culture and politics (1970s-1990s)
⭕️ slow burn historical fiction with lots of context
⭕️ stories of dissent and resistance

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!

"In this moving, emotional narrative of love and resilience, a young couple confronts the start of Argentina's Dirty War in the 1970s, and a daughter searches for truth twenty years later."

"In compelling fashion, this novel speaks to relationships, morality, and identity during a brutal period in history, and the understanding and redemption people crave in the face of tragedy"

My Thoughts:

What I liked:
- Learning more about Argentina's history, the "Dirty War", the government corruption, political climate, and the wars impact on Argentina's residents
- Dual timelines, my favorite being the past timelime set in the 1970s
- My favorite character was Valentina, she was the most intriguing in my opinion
- I preferred the second half of the novel as it really excelled in pacing, steadily revealing details and secrets until the very end
- The last third of the book was a highlight, as the emotional impact really sparked, further elevating the story

Of note:
- The first half of the storyline is slower in pace than the second half, as this section is used to set the stage and atmosphere, diving into the history of Argentina and the crucial war efforts
- There are a lot of characters to follow between the dual timelines. A past look during the 1970s Dirty War, as well as a timeline 20 years later when the daughter tries to uncover the truths of her parent's past.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting debut novel. I absolutely recommend this debut as a book club pick or buddy read as there are several plot points, historical events, controversies and characters to discuss.

I really think this is an author to look out for, as she continues to write and grow as a historical fiction novelist. I so look forward to what Clark writes next!

Thank you @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

Difficult to finish. The story was promising but truthfully fell flat. The time flip between chapters was slightly annoying. I found the sentences with one Spanish word beyond aggravating. Yes it was set in a South American country but, there wasn’t a need for this. It took away from the writing when the sentence was not clear as to the meaning of the Spanish word. The basis was a lot of Argentina history that was, at times, very fascinating, but something was missing. I think it could have been a lot easier to digest if I liked the characters, cared about Paloma or her father. It seemed his position in government was not equal to the salary and social position, but I could be wrong.

I really didn’t care about what happened with the characters halfway through.

Title: On A Night of A Thousand Stars
Author: Andrea Yayura Clark
Available now

This book and story had so much potential , but the execution really missed the mark for me. Its a dual time story. Paloma is a current day Argentine American girl who goes back to Argentina with her parents and while she’s there learns of her fathers past. It talks about the Dirty War that took place in Argentina during political unrest in the 70s where young people considered radicals were kidnapped, tortured and killed.

During present day, Paloma meets up with Franco, a member of HIJOS, a group of young Argentinians seeking justice for their missing parents.

The plot and Argentinian history really was a great idea, but for me the writing was lackluster with a lot of simple conversation interspersed with random historical facts and people. I wished I loved this more. It could’ve been amazing. The ending still left me with some chills though. To think that these atrocities occurred is frightening to say the least.

While I appreciated the subject matter and would have liked to known more about Argentina's history, this book never captured my attention. While I finished it, it was a total slog. The characters were not dimensional enough to care about them. The "twist" was painfully obvious. It was not for me.

On a Night of a Thousand Stars shook me more than I thought it would. It’s a narrative novel set in Argentina in both the 1970s during the Dirty War and the 1990s. As an American, the history that we have been taught is severely lacking from other countries. This might have been the first time I’ve read some about the Dirty War and the atrocities that happened. As a mother (and previously pregnant person), I cannot fathom how men can torture women ESPECIALLY when they’re pregnant. Reading this novel has led me down a rabbit hole about Argentina’s Dirty War.

The story is told in dual timelines: Paloma visits Argentina with her parents in 1998 as her father is the newly appointed UN Ambassador to Argentina and learns of her father’s history in the mid 1970s. His story is told in alternating chapters.

The dual timeline worked for me. I really loved finding out about Paloma’s father’s histories in the 70s. I thought that Paloma’s journey to find out about her father was interesting and really helped flesh out what happened in the 70s.

What didn’t work for me was that I never really felt an emotional connection to any of the characters, especially Paloma and Franco. I would have loved to read more about the characters from the 70s. That part of the story was fluid and connective and we need to hear more stories about that era.

“‘One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.’ Franco, quoting Golda Meir, the former prime minister of Israel.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Santiago Larrea is set to be sworn in as the UN Ambassador for Argentina. Before the swearing in ceremony, the Larrea family travels to Argentina to spend time at their home and with family. At the same time, Paloma, the only daughter of Santiago and Lila, becomes fascinated with learning more about her father's past after a run in with someone from his college days. While in Argentina, she busies herself with finding out everything she can about her father's involvement with the resistance during the Dirty War of Argentina.

My Thoughts:

I know it's only March, but I can confidently say that this will be one of my top historical fiction reads of 2022. Told in a dual timeline, alternating between 1998 and the 1970s, Clark does a beautiful job of linking the two timelines and creating a story for the readers to become invested in. I loved the family ties that were woven throughout the novel, the search for identity, and the themes of resistance and protection.

I have not read a lot, okay really I don't think I've read any, about the history of Argentina and I was completely captivated in the history of the country. Clark is a skilled historian in her writing and it was clear that she dedicated herself to the research of the time period while writing this novel.

The dual timeline and generational storyline is similar to other novels that I've read recently and I'm really enjoying this style of historical fiction. I highly encourage any historical fiction buff, or reader in general, to pick this one up...I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Read this if you enjoyed:
The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
Sparks like Stars by Nadia Hashimi

Okay, I totally judged this book by the cover. It is so so beautiful and I immediately requested it upon seeing it. On A Night of a Thousand Stars allows the reader to explore Argentinian history. A reason I enjoy historical fiction so much is that it allows to learn about different parts of the world while sitting on my couch. I love traveling through books and this one is no exception.