He drank poisoned water when he was three years old and nearly died, but was saved by the woman in the green house through the process of transmigration.

Schweblin drew inspiration for her novel from the use of harmful pesticides in farming towns throughout Argentina, which she stated causes multiple issues.

[2] Schweblin states that Argentina is a major producer of soybeans, a product related with pesticides.

[2] It is also one of the world's top producers of genetically engineered crops, mainly soybeans designed to resist pesticides.

Pesticides can have several effects on the members of farming towns in Argentina, including birth defects and other health issues.

NPR praises the novel for its use of horror in highlighting the use of toxic agricultural chemicals calling it "an exceptional example of the short-and-creepy form".

[1] An article from The New Yorker says that the book is "so enigmatic and so disciplined...[that] it belongs to a new literary genre altogether".