Translated to Arabic, Elogio de la madrastra (1988, In Praise of the Stepmother) a novel by Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa (b. 1936). A note from prepubescent Alfonso triggers a bedside visit from his new stepmother who is celebrating her 40th birthday. The visits continue until a story by Alfonso brings them into the open. An erotic novel on the nature of happiness and the corrupting power of innocence. Explicit descriptions of sex.