Renowned as Spain's The Catcher in the Rye, a passionate
coming-of-age novel that follows a rebellious young woman as she
uncovers her family's secrets in chaotic, polarized post-Civil War
Barcelona
"A work of genius [that recalls] Sartre and Camus, but it is fresher
and more vibrant than either."--Los Angeles Times Book Review
Andrea, an eighteen-year-old orphan, moves from her small town to
Barcelona to attend university. Living in genteel squalor with her
volatile relatives in a mysterious house on Calle de Aribau, Andrea
relies on her wealthy, beautiful bohemian friend Ena to prove that
normal life exists beyond the gothic dwelling she calls home. In one
year, as her innocence melts away, Andrea learns the truth about her
overbearing and religious aunt Angustias, her cruelly sensual, musically
gifted uncle Román and his violent brother Juan, and her lovely aunt
Gloria, who supports the family with furtive gambling expeditions. She
also learns the truth about Ena--and why her friendship goes hand in
hand with her interest in Andrea's family.
Peppered with dark humor, energy, and hope, Carmen Laforet's stunning
autobiographical classic is the story of a young woman who endures the
harsh realities of her postwar society, emerging wiser and stronger, and
with a bright future ahead of her.