Among the Hedges

Among the Hedges by Sara Mesa follows the story of Casi, an almost fourteen-year-old who has been skipping school. She spends her days hidden among the hedges in a local park, listening to music and reading women's magazines. One day, she is discovered by Viejo, a fifty-year-old man. Despite their age gap, the two strike up a friendship.

Viejo shares his knowledge of birds and Nina Simone with Casi and treats her to soda and chips, spending almost every day in conversation with her. Casi perceives Viejo as childlike, distinguishing him from the "dangerous" men she has encountered before. However, Viejo harbours secrets from his past, secrets that would alarm Casi's parents or any adult observing their meetings.

As these secrets start to surface, time is running out; the weather grows cold, and Casi's school begins to unravel her web of lies, leading to an inevitable turning point.

Sara Mesa uses spare, direct prose to breathe warmth into these two outcasts, provoking reflections on society's prejudices and assumptions. With this, she crafts a deeply moving narrative centred on an "inappropriate" relationship.