The Return: The 'captivating and deeply moving' Number One bestseller

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Sonia's fascination with the city's history intensifies. She frequents a cafe where the elderly owner, Miguel, displays old posters of bullfighters and dancers; he whets her appetite with tales of Lorca and days gone by. Less convincingly, we discover that Sonia lost her invalid mother, Mary, when young and has learned little about her from her father. When Miguel finally tells the story of the Ramirez family, who once owned the cafe, the mysterious English Mary will be brought to life as her younger self - a 1930s Spanish dancer, Mercedes. The ground for this transformation is insufficiently prepared, and the large generation gap unexplained until the end, which tests our credulity. 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. I also had issues with inconsistencies in characters, like the fact that Hislop makes a point of saying the twins have "little in common" besides their looks, before going on to say they both want to be tobacco graders, they both dislike school and have no interest in their mother's weaving, and later on they are practically finishing each other's sentences. vasarą, atsižvelgiant į situaciją šalyje, daugelis mūsų tik per knygas ir turėjo proga pakeliauti. Pasiėmiau knygą tikėdamasi lengvo, atostogoms subalansuoto meilės romano. I found it so interesting from a historical and political perspective on top of the fact that it is just a beautiful and well executed story.

Thessaloniki, 2007. A young Anglo-Greek hears the life story of his grandparents for the first time and realises he has a decision to make. For many decades, they have looked after the memories and treasures of people who have been forcibly driven from their beloved city. Should he become their new custodian? Should he stay or should he go? Sometimes poignant but never upsetting, this book highlights the strength of love, friendship and resilience over adversity. Complemented wonderfully by Gill Smith’s beautiful illustrations, this is an ideal book for older early readers who are ready explore more complex themes associated such as coping with adversity and having respect for others who may be different from themselves.The reader is given a clear resumé of the time leading up Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, the Civil War itself and a teeny, teeny bit about its aftermath. BUT, it reads like a school book for children. Simplistic. The story is simply a showcase for the events of the war. After reading this I wonder how CAN the Catholic belief remain so prominent in Spain today?! Perhaps Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country's Hidden Past will answer my question and give an indepth analysis of how Spaniards have dealt with their war experiences. Maybe their religious convictions have altered. Author rec'd letters from people who recalled and confirmed the brutal details of that era, and these add grace to the end of the story. I DIDN'T like this, not at all!!! Look, I gave it a very good fair chance...... I can think of two positive things to say about this book. Los Campos de Concentracion Franquistas Entre la Historia y la Memoria – Javier Rodrigo (SIETE MARES) The Scalpel, the Sword: The Story of Dr Norman Bethune – Ted Allan & Sydney Gordon (MCCLELLAND & STEWART)

I really enjoyed Victoria Hislops The Island so as soon as I saw this had been released I put my name down at the library to borrow a copy. The book started well as we follow Sonia, an unhappily married woman, to Granada where she and a friend have booked a holiday and some dance lessons. We follow her as she becomes more immersed in the salsa and flamenco dances and as she meets an elderly cafe owner who begins to tell her about the family who owned the cafe at the time of the civil war.The Impact of the Spanish Civil War on Britain: War, Loss and Memory – Tom Buchanan (SUSSEX ACADEMIC PRESS) Foster, Sophie (16 June 2019). "Victoria Hislop: 'Ian was in a different league to me at Oxford - he charged me 50p to borrow his essays' ". The Sunday Telegraph . Retrieved 18 June 2019. The Return] should be required reading for anyone going to Spain this year…the historical tale is powerful stuff”