About:
A Bookseller in Madrid by Mario Escobar is a novel which takes place during the Spanish Civil War. Mr. Escobar is a historian, a published best-selling author, a writer, and a director of an NGO.
- 304 pages
- Publisher : Harper Muse
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 1400347475
My rating for A Bookseller in Madrid – 4
Buy A Bookseller in Madrid from Amazon.com*
More Books by Mario Escobar*
Thoughts:
Events of the Spanish Civil War are fascinating. While I do not seek out books about those events specifically, I always find them interesting.
A Bookseller in Madrid by Mario Escobar (translated by Gretchen Abernathy) follows a German woman who has married a Spanish politician and moved to Madrid. Escaping from
the fascist government in Berlin, she finds escapism by opening a German bookstore to sell items prohibited back at home.
The book weaves in events from the war, which affect the protagonist personally. Her husband’s politics, those of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party, are not in favor and they are being targeted Franco‘s supporters.
Approximately the first half of the books gives a lot of background into the conflict, and the politics of it. Luckily the author has included a list of important events and dates of the war, which I actually think should be read first.
The second half is more character driven, focusing on Barbara, Juan, and their son attempting to escape Madrid. This is where her contacts from Madrid’s academia and book selling come into play. Apparently, Spain did not have a large reading population, hence the close and personal contacts.
I think the bookstore in the story was just to get us bibliophiles to get the book. We all love books about books, but Barbara could, for intents and purposes, be a baker or any other niche occupation.
The book has a ton of great information about Spanish politics and geopolitics of the time, an angle I haven’t read about before. A combination of Spanish and World War II history told in a very creative way.
Synopsis:
Barbara, a young German woman, escapes Berlin to be with Juan, her love, in Madrid. Instead of a hope, the young couple finds themselves in another turbulent country. The Spanish Civil War, a violent and volatile event, threatens to destroy their family and future.
Juan, a socialist politician, finds himself in the crosshair of the fascists and his family will suffer as well. With a world war all around time, escape is hazards, and often seems impassible.
Buy A Bookseller in Madrid from Amazon.com*
More Books by Mario Escobar*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
