The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Loedel, Daniel. Hades, Argentina. New York: Riverhead Books, 2021.

The novel opens in 1986. The protagonist and narrator is Tomás Orilla, who is in his early thirties. Ten years ago, he fled from his home country of Argentina amid civil unrest. He has lived in New York City for years, and he is married to an American woman named Claire. However, his marriage is on the verge of collapse due to the effects of lingering trauma from his past. When he hears that a family friend is dying, he decides to return to Argentina for the first time in ten years. There, he encounters the ghost of Felipe Gorlero—known as the Colonel—whom Tomás had known before. The Colonel worked for the Argentinian government and was a friend of Tomás’ mother.

Guided by this ghost, Tomás takes a tour of places in Argentina—mostly in Buenos Aires—that are significant to Tomás’ past. The novel then transitions into the main storyline, which takes place in the mid-1970s. At age 21, Tomás was a hard-working college student, and he transferred to a university in Buenos Aires to be closer to Isabel, a young woman with whom he was in love. They had known each other since they were children, and although they had once had a sexual relationship, Isabel had never fully requited Tomás’ romantic feelings.

Tensions rose in Argentina as the government grew steadily more authoritarian. Isabel decided to join Montoneros, a left-wing guerrilla group that opposed the government. Isabel was not a soldier for Montoneros, but an information-gatherer. Because of Tomás’ personal connection to the Colonel, Isabel persuaded Tomás to spy on the Colonel in order to gather information for Montoneros. Later, Tomás acquired a job as a assistant in a government-run interrogation center. There, Tomás witnessed the guards torture, rape, and kill prisoners. Tomás was horrified and traumatized by the things he witnessed.

At Tomás’ request, members of Montoneros killed the man who ran the interrogation center. Isabel then had to go into hiding to evade retaliation, arrest, and execution by the government. Tomás managed to keep his own connection to Montoneros secret, even after helping some prisoners escape. However, he was eventually discovered and was tortured. With the Colonel’s help, he escaped from Argentina and eventually began a new life in New York City. Meanwhile, Isabel was arrested and killed. Back in the 1986 frame narrative, Tomás is unsure if his return visit to Argentina has truly helped his confront his memories and traumas.