Where to Start Reading Brenda Lozano
Brenda Lozano is one of Latin America's most inventive contemporary voices, known for writing novels that resist traditional structures. Since all of her books are standalone works, you can pick up whichever premise sounds most intriguing to you. However, depending on your preferred literary style, we recommend two primary starting points:
- For fans of folklore and social realism: Start with Witches (2020 / English translation 2022). This is Lozano's most widely read and accessible book in translation. It alternates between the perspectives of Zoila, a journalist from Mexico City, and Feliciana, an indigenous curandera (healer) in a rural village. It is a powerful, immersive look at gender-based violence, ancestral knowledge, and Muxe identity.
- For fans of playful, experimental autofiction: Start with Loop (2014 / English translation 2019). If you prefer intimate, stream-of-consciousness narratives with heavy pop-culture references (think David Bowie and Shakira), this modern retelling of the Penelope myth is the perfect introduction. It follows a woman who records her thoughts in a notebook while waiting for her boyfriend to return from Spain.
Brenda Lozano Books in Publication Order
Lozano’s bibliography is relatively compact but highly impactful. The list below represents the order in which her books were originally published in Spanish. Note that English translations have lagged by several years, meaning English-only readers encounter her progression differently.
1. Todo nada (2009)
Lozano's debut novel is a poignant story of loss, grief, and familial memory. Set in Mexico City, it examines the complex relationship between a granddaughter and her grandfather. Todo nada establishes her knack for blending deeply personal histories with broader cultural shifts. (Note: There is currently no English translation available for this novel.)
2. Cuaderno ideal / Loop (2014 Spanish / 2019 English)
Her breakthrough novel, translated into English by Annie McDermott as Loop, is a circular, fragmented story about the agony and art of waiting. The narrator compares her writing and erasing to Penelope's weaving in The Odyssey. The book earned Lozano an English PEN Translates Award in 2019.
3. Cómo piensan las piedras (2017)
This is Lozano's first short story collection. It contains lyrical, short-form pieces that explore the boundaries of the everyday, introducing elements of magical realism and quiet absurdity. (Note: There is currently no English translation available for this collection.)
4. Brujas / Witches (2020 Spanish / 2022 English)
Translated by Heather Cleary, this novel is inspired by the real-life Mazatec curandera María Sabina. The story centers on the murder of Paloma, a Muxe healer, and how her death connects Zoila (a journalist) and Feliciana (Paloma’s cousin and apprentice). It explores the power of language, female solidarity, and the division between rural and urban Mexican life.
5. Soñar como sueñan los árboles / Mothers (2024 Spanish / 2025 English)
Lozano's latest novel, translated by Heather Cleary as Mothers (longlisted for the 2026 PEN Translation Prize), shifts to a 1940s Mexico City setting. Based around the kidnapping of a young girl, the narrative weaves together the lives of Gloria Felipe (a wealthy mother) and Nuria Valencia (a working-class woman who struggled with infertility), exploring maternal expectations, class disparities, and systemic justice.
The English Translation Guide: Navigating the Gaps
For readers who do not read Spanish, navigating Brenda Lozano’s work requires understanding translation timelines. Because of publishing schedules, the order of availability in English differs from her original publication path:
- Loop (2019) - Translated by Annie McDermott (originally published as Cuaderno ideal in 2014).
- Witches (2022) - Translated by Heather Cleary (originally published as Brujas in 2020).
- Mothers (2025) - Translated by Heather Cleary (originally published as Soñar como sueñan los árboles in 2024).
If you are limited to English translations, we recommend reading them in this order: Witches first for its narrative drive, followed by Mothers for its historical scope, and concluding with the highly experimental Loop. You do not need to worry about missing plot connections, as none of these works share characters or settings.
Anthologies and Editorial Work
In addition to her standalone novels and short stories, Lozano is an active essayist and editor who has contributed to significant literary anthologies:
- MAKE X: A Decade of Literary Art (2017): Lozano served as an editor (specifically the Intercambio Prose Editor) for this celebratory anthology by the Chicago-based MAKE magazine, showcasing cross-cultural literary dialogues.
- Tsunami (2018): A landmark Mexican feminist anthology edited by Gabriela Jáuregui. Lozano contributed an essay alongside other prominent Mexican women writers, focusing on gender violence, patriarchal structures, and personal identity.
What to Know Before You Start
Lozano’s writing style is lyrical, elliptical, and frequently non-linear. Rather than driving forward with plot-heavy momentum, her stories often circle around central emotional questions—such as the pain of waiting, the weight of motherhood, or the transmission of healing practices. Expect prose that reads like poetry, shifts in perspective, and narrators who frequently comment on the act of writing itself. Her work bridges the gap between rural folklore and urban modernity, offering a multifaceted portrait of Mexican identity.