I read this last year when my husband and I went to Spain to visit his family. Yes, this story is set in Spain. Cliche, but there you have it.
This novel tells the story of the Ramirez family.The family members are: Concha and Pablo, the parents; Antonio, the eldest and very much a supporter of the Republic; Ignacio, a matador and very much in favor of the fascist; Emilio, a musician and sensitive soul who does not want to dabble in politics at all; and Mercedes, a flamenco dancer that captivates the city of Granada. Before the beginning of the war, Mercedes meets a Gypsy guitarists named Javier. The quickly fall passionately in love.Their story, set in late 1930s Spain immediately before and during the Civil War, is interwoven with Sonia's story. Her mother was a Spanish refugee that settled in London. Sonia travels with a friend to Granada to take flamenco classes. She meets a cafe owner, Miguel, who tells her the story of what happened to the Ramirez family.
Of course, you know this story is going to be tragic for everyone involved. The Spanish Civil War tore apart the whole country and no family was left untouched. Hislop makes no pretense at impartiality. She's very much on the side of the Republic. Although I also tend to favor the side of the Republicans, the realities of Spanish life are a little oversimplified in this story. I had a hard time believing that Javier and Mercedes could fall in love so quickly. Yes, she's 16, but he isn't, and the intensity of their feelings after knowing each other for such a little amount of time is a little off putting.
And, like most stories that go back and forth in time, the story set in the 30s is much more interesting that the one set in the present. Sonia's story, in all honesty, is a little boring. She's having issues with her husband, who clearly doesn't understand her. It can be interesting, but it just doesn't quite fit right. Hislop tries to make it kind of parallel. It just didn't totally work for me.
One thing that totally turned me off was the mix up with the last names. Spaniards (and Puerto Ricans, and most people in the Spanish-speaking world) have two last names. The first last name is the father's and the second is the mother's. Hislop kind of mixed them up in some instances. I don't know if I just misunderstood, but I know Hispanic last names.
It's a decent story, but the Spanish Civil War is a notoriously difficult subject to write about. It's a good effort.
Next up: My Afternoons With Margueritte by Marie-Sabine Roger.
