Why a Booktrail?
1940s: A coming-of-age novel in 1940s Barcelona with a devilish twist
The Calligraphy of Dreams
What you need to know before your trail
Ringo is the son of “The Rat Catcher” and Alberta. Living in a very poor and dubious part of Barcelona, in the shadow of the civil war with a neighbour called Victoria Mir. Victoria is not a well woman as one day she is found lying on abandoned tram tracks, waiting…for what? There have been no trams along here for years, but the symbolism of her act is huge – although the passers by merely shake their heads or make fun.
What has brought her to this sad point in her life and will Ringo be the one to find out?
Travel Guide
Barcelona
This is the seedy and dubious side to Barcelona, during the time of the civil war. Life was different then, people suspected their neighbours, judged the people and were suspicious of everyone. Living in the shadow of civil war and with Facist eyes watching, freedom and living were not easy.
Ringo lives with his parents in a very poor part of town. He often spends time wandering around the streets with his friends and they head out to the Red Light District. It’s here that his path crosses with Alonso, a friend of Victoria and their worlds collide. They meet in the Rosales Bar.
This is the Barcelona of a young boy, A Rat catcher and a wanna be actress, and one where the abandoned tram lines are symbolic of the traces of a past well trodden and carved into the landscape of the country.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Calligraphy of Dreams
Author/Guide: Juan Marsé Destination: Barcelona Departure Time: 1940s
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