A 53-year-old lawyer, in the midst of an existential crisis, finds a book that once belonged to her mother and decides to investigate this figure who has remained a mystery her entire life. What emerges is the portrait of an untamable woman who defied all stereotypes but who may also have been murdered because of it. A family drama infused with mystery, an apocryphal tale, a feminist story, and a bestselling novel that sets the reader’s heart racing.
Barcelona, the year 2020. Carolina Planadevall Ribé is a successful 53-year-old lawyer who is going through a tough time. Her recent divorce, constant fights with her 19-year-old daughter Ariana, and the imminent death of her father plunge her into sadness. Everything seems to be falling apart until one day, while searching for a book in her father’s library to distract herself, she comes across a copy of “Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter” by Simone de Beauvoir. The inside cover indicates that it was last borrowed in 1965 from the Ateneo Barcelonés and bears the membership number 7953. Carolina is convinced it belonged to her mother, Elena, who left the family to be with her lover when Carolina was just three years old.
Driven by this discovery and the enigma of her mother’s disappearance, Carolina begins to investigate through the membership number and eventually tracks down Gabriel Bonell, Elena’s lover. Through Gabriel, Carolina uncovers an unknown side of her mother: she was an indomitable young woman who refused to conform to what was expected of women in that era, especially one from the Catalan bourgeoisie. Elena immersed herself in that rebellious and vibrant Barcelona where the last formal dances coexisted with the first rock concerts.
Carolina must deal with her complicated present, also marked by COVID-19, while delving into family secrets hidden for decades and as her suspicions about Gabriel as a possible murderer of her mother grow. She ends up seeing herself reflected in her mother’s story, questioning many decisions in her life and the path she wishes to follow.
RELEVANT INFORMATION:
The work has been praised for its detailed portrayal of the ‘gauche divine’ era and its ability to intertwine personal history with the social and cultural context. Laura Anguera is a Spanish writer and lawyer.
What readers say:
“With a slow and highly detailed writing style, Laura Anguera has crafted a gripping novel.” – Goodreads
“An exquisite costumbrist novel.” – Goodreads
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Film, TV Film.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish, Catalan.
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