Day 89: That’s All I Know by Elisa Levi

That’s All I Know is a short novel written by the Spanish writer Elisa Levi and translated into English by Christina MacSweeney. The book is told entirely in the form of a first person story told by Lea, a 19 year old woman living in a remote part of what sounds like Spain and telling her tale to a man searching for his lost dog. Often, when Lea finishes a section she ends with the tag line, “And that’s all I know.” Perhaps the most impressive thing about the book is Levi’s ability to keep Lea’s monologic voice going for the entire book.

As she talks, Lea tells us about her attraction to a boy named Javier as well as another boy named Marco who is attracted to her that she is not interested in. We also learn about what appears to be the end of the world, although I do wonder whether it is safe to assume that the narrator is reliable. That is to say, Lea tells us that people in her town say the world is ending, but it may or may not be ending. In addition, Lea tells the man looking for his dog about her family which has become deeply unbalanced because of her sister Nora who is profoundly disabled. With all this talk of the world ending and sickness, the tragic act Lea describes near the end of the book is not entirely unsurprising. And yet, the event is still shocking.

I found the book to be quite poetic with a sort of staccato rhythm repeated throughout the book. I do wonder what sort of meter I might find if I were able to read the book in untranslated Spanish. I see that Levi has also published one book of poetry. As I said earlier, there is also something impressive about maintaining the voice of a marijuana affected teenager for the entire length of the book.

May 20, 2025. kindle and libro.fm audiobook. 156 pgs.