Querencia, a metaphysical concept rooted in the Spanish verb “querer” (to desire), represents a place or state of being where one feels secure, gathers strength, and becomes their most resilient self. In bullfighting, it is the bull’s refuge- a personal zone of power where it ceases to feel threatened and instead becomes formidable, forcing the matador to continuously prevent the bull from finding its querencia. This dynamic reveals a paradox: true strength and self-actualization arise from vulnerability, danger, and a state of having “nothing left to lose.” Unlike nostalgia or the longing expressed by “saudade” or “añoranza,” querencia is not about yearning for the past but about finding a present sense of empowerment and rootedness. The lack of a direct English equivalent highlights its unique resonance, transcending bullfighting to evoke universal themes of personal power and existential resilience.

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Timing Is Everything, is a compelling collection of short stories that lives up to its title, with each page-turn revealing charged locales and the intricately varied lives of its characters. Each narrative, feels intimately understood, yet retains an air of mystery, drawing the reader’s attention to what is present precisely because of what is absent.