Why a Booktrail?
1936: A great epic tale which takes you to the heart of the Spanish Civil War
In the Night of Time
What you need to know before your trail
October 1936. Spanish architect Ignacio Abel arrives at Penn Station, the final stop on his journey from war-torn Madrid, where he has left behind his wife and children, abandoning them to uncertainty. Crossing the fragile borders of Europe, he reflects on months of fratricidal conflict in his embattled country, his own transformation from a bricklayer’s son to a respected bourgeois husband and professional, and the all-consuming love affair with an American woman that forever alters his life.
Travel Guide
The landscape and human face of the Spanish Civil War
“In recent months you can no longer be sure about certain things, can’t know wether a friend, seen a few days or only hours ago, is still alive Once death and life had clearer, more precise boundaries”
The streets
“Ordinary streets in Madrid abruptly end in a barricade or a trench or a heap of rubble left by an exploded bomb. On the sidewalk, turning a corner, you can see in the first light of day a rigid body pushed against a building that served as a blank wall for a firing squad the night before”
All in all, fearful nights and months of insomnia
Booktrails into the past…
In addition to the insights into the Spanish civil war, there are a few notable mentions of booktrails where a character follows the places in her books. Not to take the seriousness of the war theme away, this is a unique and insightful booktrail theme and we love it!
“In Madrid novels bore a close resemblance to truth”
In the novel Fortunata and Jacinta she finds names of places that she had found improbable but now sees on metro signs and street corners
“The street cars noise makes the book come to life for her – only a few steps from the Puerta del Sol and she is already at the heart of the novel”
Streetview Maps
C) Madrid - Arco de Cuchilleros
E) Madrid - Puerta del Sol and the heart of the novel
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: In the Night of Time
Author/Guide Antonio Munoz Molina Destination: Madrid, Spain Departure Time: 1936
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