The Return by Victoria Hislop
Sonia is looking to get away for a bit from her less than happy marriage and travels with her friend Maggie to Spain. They go to take dance lessons, but in a cafe one morning, Sonia finds more. She knows her mother was Spanish but never returned after the Civil War, but she knows no more than that, either about her family’s history or about the history of the Spanish Civil War. Befriending Miguel, the owner of the small cafe, Sonia begins to learn the story of the family who once owned it, before and during the ravages of the Civil War.
The Ramirez family was a fairly liberal family in conservative Granada, which did not bode well for the when the fascists wrenched control from the government, particularly as Granada fell rather early in the conflict. Mercedes Ramirez was the heart of Miguel’s story and, as the youngest and the only girl, the heart of the Ramirez family. She is a remarkable flamenco dancer and soon falls in love with Javier, an equally remarkable guitar player, for whom she dances.
Honestly, I found the arc of the story to be a bit predictable – the family’s story, that is, and how everything fit together, not the outcome of the war, that would be a silly thing to complain about. I knew the connections that would be made far before the end of the story. I also had a very hard time getting into the book at the beginning. Sonia’s trip to Spain didn’t really capture my imagination, nor did some of the early descriptions of the family’s life before the war began.
All that being said, once the war started, the story really gained momentum. I became enamored of Mercedes’ story, as well as those of her mother and brother and didn’t want to put the book down. The writing and language was quite good throughout, I just wasn’t drawn into the plot or invested in the characters very quickly. Once I was, though, I quite enjoyed the story.
Buy this book from:
Powells.*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.*
Amazon.*
I’ve found lately that a lot of historical fiction has been slow going for me. I’m glad to hear this one picked up at the end.
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..The Road, by Cormac McCarthy =-.
sounds like this might fill a hole in my history knowledge
.-= HODGEPODGESPV´s last blog ..WINNER: I, Alex Cross (audio) =-.
I have been going back and forth about whether or not I want to read this book. The cover is gorgeous though!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday: The Observations =-.
I’ve had so many books lately that took awhile to get into. Are our standards just getting too high?
This sounds really good..even though you had a slow go at the beginning. The setting would really appeal to me. Thanks, Wisteria
I really liked this book, but I had some of the same feelings. It was predictable, but not so bad, and Sonia’s story didn’t really grab me. The story of the family during the war made it a page-turner, though.
.-= Anna´s last blog ..THE READER by Bernhard Schlink =-.
This looks interesting, but I can’t decide if I want to read it or not.
Glad to see a blogger review this book. I really liked The Island and want to read this book too. I don’t mind a slower beginning myself so I look forward to it. Thanks for reviewing it.
I can’t take my eyes off the cover. I think I could wade through the slow stuff, because the premise sounds really good.
BTW, I am a big huge fat blob after Christmas. The pounds are just going to fall off me come January 4th! The Ho’s are going to kick butt!
.-= Sandy´s last blog ..Let Me Go – Helga Schneider (audio) =-.
I’ve heard similar things about this book, though it does still intrigue me.
I’m having a similar problem with the book I’m listening to now. This one sounds like it’s got potential.
This will sound so shallow, but I’ve been wanting to read this book ever since I saw the cover. I’m glad to see you enjoyed it!
I wasn’t able to get into this and then it was due back at the library. I plan to try again once I’m out of my reading funk
Hummm. I think I’ll likely pass on this one, I have so many other things to read.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Review: Death of a Charming Man by M. C. Beaton =-.
Glad that it looked up for you in the end. I agree with Kathy. I am not usually a cover girl but this one is very alluring.
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Happy New Year! =-.
I totally agree! I was less than thrilled with Sonia’s story as well. And then I was put off by the distant way Mercedes story was told. But then it dragged me into the story and I was really into it at the end. I wish it didn’t take so long for me to get involved though.