Gabriela Cabezón Cámara's The Claws of the Forest reimagines the life of Catalina de Erauso, a 17th-century "soldier nun" who lived as a man named Antonio, through a queer lens set in the Guarani lands of South America. The novel, translated from Spanish by Guillaume Contré and published by Grasset, is 272 pages long and priced at 22 €. Drawing inspiration from Reinaldo Arenas's The Hallucinating World, which also reinterpreted historical figures through a transgressive approach, Cabezón Cámara offers a narrative that challenges traditional historical accounts. Cabezón Cámara, a notable figure in Latin American literature, uses a narrative that blends contemporary and baroque styles to explore the brutal colonization of the Americas. The novel includes prayers in Latin, Basque, and Guarani, reconfiguring the poetic structures of the Golden Age. This approach continues her work of giving voice to historically marginalized characters, as seen in her earlier work The Adventures of China Iron, where she centered the story around the wife of the gaucho Martín Fierro. Set in the Paraná forest, a significant location in Argentine literary tradition, The Claws of the Forest echoes themes found in works such as Horacio Quiroga's stories and Antonio Di Benedetto's Zama. The novel moves from the pampa of 19th-century Argentina to the Indian forest during the early stages of colonization, examining the complex encounters between colonizers and the colonized, as well as the interplay between feminine and masculine identities, and the relationships between humans, animals, and plants. The novel incorporates multiple languages, including Spanish, Basque, Latin, and Guarani, highlighting the linguistic diversity of the region. The setting in a Guarani territory emphasizes the presence of the Guarani language, which, despite being historically stigmatized, is spoken by a large portion of Argentina's population. Cabezón Cámara underscores the importance of recognizing and learning these languages, challenging the idea of a single dominant language. The novel depicts extreme violence, such as the burning of non-evangelized Indians, which Cabezón Cámara attributes to the brutal colonization period. However, tenderness emerges as a central theme, with characters like children and animals offering light and hope. This contrast between violence and tenderness is viewed as a political act, emphasizing the need to recognize and value the tender aspects of life amid the harsh realities of colonization and environmental degradation. Cabezón Cámara highlights the importance of freedom in writing, stating that literature can explore various forms and ideas without being restricted by historical accuracy. She reimagines the ending of Catalina de Erauso's life, giving her a new destiny in the Paraná forest, where she finds peace among the Guarani girls and nature. The novel also touches on environmental issues, reflecting Cabezón Cámara's concerns about the impact of colonization and modern extractivism. She links her militant activism with her literary work, seeing both as forms of resistance against oppressive structures and monosemic language. The play with language and form in her writing is considered a crucial act of resistance and creativity.