Her talent allowed her to lead the life she wanted. A lover and a secret changed her destiny forever.
Clara Lyndon is an elderly woman living in England who has just been released from the hospital. Luckily, her granddaughter Máire has been by her side through it all. During one of her episodes of confusion, Máire hears her grandmother speaking in a foreign language. Máire was anxious to know this side of her she didn’t even know existed. It is then when Clara finally has the opportunity she had been waiting for to confess the many secrets her life held.
Clara begins to reveal her complicated past: how she got to England, who she was in her previous life, and why she had to stop being her former self.
Clara confesses that her real name is Miren Arrúe and that she had moved to Madrid as a young girl, where she was signed to play as a professional racquetball player on a women’s team in post-war, Francoist Spain. And like her, women from all parts of Spain were in the same boat as her- brave and fighting young women who were far from home and suddenly found themselves in the frontons of the country and in the midst of society–. Besides being a profession for them, it was the means to support their families during this time of widespread hardship. As a result, the team of women forged a strong and unforgettable friendship.
At about this time is when Clara meets the man who she will eventually fall madly in love with. Their love was passionate, but both dangerous and risky. The consequences of this relationship change her fate and force her to flee out of the country.
In addition to hearing the disturbing secrets hidden by her grandmother, Máire will also learn about an unknown part of Spain’s recent history, which revolves around the professional female racquet players in a Francoist-controlled Spain. These women were the pioneers of professional sports in Spain and Latin America and were part of a new world that was opening up for women at the time, in which although everyone participated, was frowned upon.
It was a complicated time in which they could not stand up for themselves or ask for something as basic as freedom, simply because they were female. They fought to be recognized for their talent and paved the way for the next generation of professional female athletes.
A novel that, while recounting a necessary chapter in the history of women, tells us about the exciting life of Miren Arrúe: her childhood in Eibar, the discovery of friendship and professional success in Madrid, her sentimental and personal decisions and, finally, that magical moment when life gave her a second chance.
RELEVANT DATA: Clara Lyndon’s Silence (El silencio de Clara Lyndon), a story full of love and hope, is a commercial success which gives visibility to a group of professional sportswomen who have not yet been recognized as such.
Elene Lizarralde, the author, has done exhaustive research to write her debut novel, capturing the history of these women and telling the plot from a genuine perspective as a tribute to women who were brave and who deserve to occupy their rightful place in history.
What the critics have said:
“It has the ability to capture my attention all the way to its end with tears and a smile. If you think that the life of a racquetball player won’t interest you, you are wrong. It is the life of a woman, of all women, who lead their life with love.” M. Lopetegui
“It is a novel full of adventure, love, courage, self-improvement and friendship. It is very rich in scenarios, plots, unexpected twists and characters that build a world that captivated me immediately, which is why I could not stop reading.” I. Aizpuru
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: In development as a Miniseries.
LANGUAGES AVAILABLE: Spanish.
