THE APOSTATE

Tamayo knows he must break free from the person he has become under the weight of his parents’ expectations. His rebellion takes the form of a quixotic mission: to have his name formally removed from the Catholic Church’s baptismal records. But forging his own path proves difficult, and as a first step, he begins to put his feelings into words. With the innocence of an adolescent—and the sincerity of someone writing letters to a friend overseas—Tamayo reflects on the flaws and quiet miseries inherited from his family. As his correspondence revisits the key moments of his turbulent past, his wild and tender gaze captures the landscape of Madrid—its streets, office buildings, parks, and altars—revealing his beliefs, longings, and inner turmoil.