Argentinean Women in Noir: Challenging Religious Discourses in Claudia Piñeiro’s Catedrales (2020)

Set against the backdrop of the feminist movement known as Marea verde, which organized massive protests and demonstrations to support the passing of the Ley de Interrupción Voluntaria del Embarazo (December 2020), Piñeiro’s crime novel, Catedrales (2020), confronts the fanaticism and trauma inflicted by polarizing discourses that divide the population into ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’. The novel constitutes a staunch attack on the Catholic Church and promotes a scaffolding for a new ideology (new cathedrals) that shakes the core of Argentinean women’s sentimental education, inviting readers to reflect upon current social and political issues in Argentina and worldwide.