The Return
Registered by LindyLouMac of Tywyn, Wales United Kingdom on 2/22/2018
This book is in a Controlled Release!
This book is in a Controlled Release!
1 journaler for this copy...
Beneath the majestic towers of the Alhambra, Granada's cobbled streets resonate with music and secrets. Sonia Cameron knows nothing of the city's shocking past; she is here to dance. But in a quiet café, a chance conversation and an intriguing collection of old photographs draw her into the extraordinary tale of Spain's devastating civil war.
Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the close-knit Ramírez family. In 1936, an army coup led by Franco shatters the country's fragile peace, and in the heart of Granada the family witnesses the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, fighting a personal battle as Spain rips itself apart.
Captivating and deeply moving, Victoria Hislop's second novel is as inspiring as her international bestselling debut, The Island.
Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the close-knit Ramírez family. In 1936, an army coup led by Franco shatters the country's fragile peace, and in the heart of Granada the family witnesses the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, fighting a personal battle as Spain rips itself apart.
Captivating and deeply moving, Victoria Hislop's second novel is as inspiring as her international bestselling debut, The Island.
I read this back in 2011 and although i reviewed on my book blog I never registered it here!
https://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/return-by-victoria-hislop.html
The first part of this novel certainly does not prepare you for the later intensity as suddenly the story takes on a complete change of tone and direction when we are transported back to the Granada of the nineteen thirties. It is a gentle start as this first part is set mainly in modern day Granada with Sonia and Maggie. Two fans of salsa from the UK where they take regular classes, the young women spend a few days in Granada taking dance lessons as a birthday treat for one of them. While there Sonia became friendly with an elderly gentleman when she found the photographs displayed in his cafe fascinated her, leaving her finding she wanted to know more.
Part Two and it is 1931 the second republic with the promises of an end to poverty has just been formed and the protagonists are the Ramirez family of Sonia’s cafe photos. The story now moves to the Spanish Civil War and how it altered the lives of those living in Spain for ever, as told to Sonia by Miguel, the elderly gentleman she met in the previous part. El Barril the bar where Sonia first met Miguel was home to the Ramirez family whose experiences he is now relating to her. The parents Concha and Pablo, plus their three sons Antonio, Ignacio, Emilo and daughter Mercedes. In this conflict it was sometimes hard to say if anyone was completely without blame, whether Nationalists or Republicans. With two of the brothers firmly on opposing sides life is very uncomfortable for the family in Granada, which although in Nationalist hands harboured a strong undercurrent of support for the Republicans. Franco’s desire was to wipe the Republicans off the face of the earth whatever it took.
Part Three returns us to modern day Spain of 2001 as Miguel reads letters to Sonia that Mercedes wrote to her mother once it was safe to do so. Thereby bringing the emotional family story up to date for her. There were maybe one to many coincidences that tied up the ending too neatly for me, I mean the chances of this happening in real life are just so extreme, but then this is a novel and such endings are allowed.
A poignant story that is very well written and extremely enjoyable if not a little harrowing at times. I learnt not just about the terrible effects of The Civil War in Spain but also about bull fighting and flamenco dancing. This is the second novel that Victoria Hislop has had published, both of which I have read and enjoyed. An author whose work I will certainly look out for again, as last time I learnt about leprosy in The Island and this time The Spanish Civil War, so much more than the romance that was also present in both novels.
https://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/return-by-victoria-hislop.html
The first part of this novel certainly does not prepare you for the later intensity as suddenly the story takes on a complete change of tone and direction when we are transported back to the Granada of the nineteen thirties. It is a gentle start as this first part is set mainly in modern day Granada with Sonia and Maggie. Two fans of salsa from the UK where they take regular classes, the young women spend a few days in Granada taking dance lessons as a birthday treat for one of them. While there Sonia became friendly with an elderly gentleman when she found the photographs displayed in his cafe fascinated her, leaving her finding she wanted to know more.
Part Two and it is 1931 the second republic with the promises of an end to poverty has just been formed and the protagonists are the Ramirez family of Sonia’s cafe photos. The story now moves to the Spanish Civil War and how it altered the lives of those living in Spain for ever, as told to Sonia by Miguel, the elderly gentleman she met in the previous part. El Barril the bar where Sonia first met Miguel was home to the Ramirez family whose experiences he is now relating to her. The parents Concha and Pablo, plus their three sons Antonio, Ignacio, Emilo and daughter Mercedes. In this conflict it was sometimes hard to say if anyone was completely without blame, whether Nationalists or Republicans. With two of the brothers firmly on opposing sides life is very uncomfortable for the family in Granada, which although in Nationalist hands harboured a strong undercurrent of support for the Republicans. Franco’s desire was to wipe the Republicans off the face of the earth whatever it took.
Part Three returns us to modern day Spain of 2001 as Miguel reads letters to Sonia that Mercedes wrote to her mother once it was safe to do so. Thereby bringing the emotional family story up to date for her. There were maybe one to many coincidences that tied up the ending too neatly for me, I mean the chances of this happening in real life are just so extreme, but then this is a novel and such endings are allowed.
A poignant story that is very well written and extremely enjoyable if not a little harrowing at times. I learnt not just about the terrible effects of The Civil War in Spain but also about bull fighting and flamenco dancing. This is the second novel that Victoria Hislop has had published, both of which I have read and enjoyed. An author whose work I will certainly look out for again, as last time I learnt about leprosy in The Island and this time The Spanish Civil War, so much more than the romance that was also present in both novels.
Released to a friend
Dear Finder of this book,
I'm so glad it has found a home with you. I hope you enjoy reading it and that you might take a few moments to jot down here what you thought about the book, or about finding it, or about bookcrossing.
You don't have to join or sign up or anything to bookcrossing to leave a comment here but if you do join, you will receive emails to alert you when others make a journal entry for this book and track its travels across the world. If you decide to join bookcrossing, now that you have discovered the site, I'd be delighted if you would mention me - LindyLouMac - as the person who introduced you to the site.
Happy reading
LindyLouMac
Dear Finder of this book,
I'm so glad it has found a home with you. I hope you enjoy reading it and that you might take a few moments to jot down here what you thought about the book, or about finding it, or about bookcrossing.
You don't have to join or sign up or anything to bookcrossing to leave a comment here but if you do join, you will receive emails to alert you when others make a journal entry for this book and track its travels across the world. If you decide to join bookcrossing, now that you have discovered the site, I'd be delighted if you would mention me - LindyLouMac - as the person who introduced you to the site.
Happy reading
LindyLouMac
