Aaron Shulman

A fascinating history of Spain in the 20th century (and touching on the beginning of the 21st) as seen through the the life of one very interesting and very literary family. I admit I didn't know very much about modern Spanish history or the Spanish Civil War going in, other than the bare bones, and what I had read was very filtered through a specific American or British lens: ie. usually through the lens of Hemingway or his ilk and the Spanish Civil War as a "prelude"/build up to War World II rather than a conflict in its own right.

This book is still written by an American, obviously, but it does have some quotes from Spanish poets and soldiers, as well as history. It focuses on Leopoldo Panero, who starts out as a republican during the Civil War and then switches sides and becomes kind of a state poet for the Franco administration, his wife, Felicidad, and their three three sons, Juan Luis, Leopold Maria, and Michi, who are all authors in their own rights. After Leopoldo Sr.'s death the family participates in a Grey Gardens style documentary and that lends the theme of the nature of memory and how we construct our own narrative history to the book.

It made me want to read more about the Spanish Civil War, the Paneros, and also to read more Spanish literature. If anybody has anybody recommendations,… (mehr)