Synopses & Reviews
The inspiring international bestseller of a seemingly ordinary woman who uses her talent and courage to transform herself first into a prestigious couturier and then into an undercover agent for the Allies during World War II.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Between Youth and Adulthoodand#8230;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;At age twelve, Sira Quiroga sweeps the atelier floors where her single mother works as a seamstress. At fourteen, she quietly begins her own apprenticeship. By her early twenties she has learned the ropes of the business and is engaged to a modest government clerk. But everything changes when two charismatic men burst unexpectedly into her neatly mapped-out life: an attractive salesman and the father she never knew. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Between War and Peaceand#8230;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;With the Spanish Civil War brewing in Madrid, Sira leaves her mother and her fiancand#233;, impetuously following her handsome lover to Morocco. However, she soon finds herself abandoned, penniless, and heartbroken in an exotic land. Among the odd collection of European expatriates trapped there by the worsening political situation back on the Continent, Sira reinvents herself by turning to the one skill that can save her: her gift for creating beautiful clothes. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Between Love and Dutyand#8230;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;As England, Germany, and the other great powers launch into the dire conflict of World War II, Sira is persuaded to return to Madrid, where she takes on a new identity to embark upon the most dangerous undertaking of her career. As the preeminent couturier for an eager clientele of Nazi officersand#8217; wives, Sira becomes embroiled in the half-lit world of espionage and political conspiracy rife with love, intrigue, and betrayal. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;An outstanding success around the world, andlt;Iandgt;The Time in Between andlt;/Iandgt;has sold more than two million copies and inspired the Spanish television series based on the book, dubbed by the media as the and#8220;Spanish Downton Abbey.and#8221; In the US it was a critical and commercial hit, and a andlt;Iandgt;New York Times andlt;/Iandgt;bestseller in paperback. It is one of those rare, richly textured novels that enthrall down to the last page. Marand#237;a Dueand#241;as reminds us how it feels to be swept away by a masterful storyteller.
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"How can a novel be both cruel and tender, dark and luminous all at the same time, and keep the reader glued to its pages with a complex, captivating narrative?
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andlt;iandgt;"The Time in Betweenandlt;/iandgt; is a magnificent novel that flawlessly brings together history and intrigue. Sira Quiroga and#8211; the seamtress and#8211; wonand#8217;t be easily forgotten.and#8221; -- Juan Gand#243;mez-Jurado, author of andlt;iandgt;The Moses Expeditionandlt;/iandgt;
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“A literary cocktail that mixes adventure, espionage, glamour, aristocracy, and passion.” -La Vanguardia (Spain)
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“A tale of frustrated dreams and dreams come true, embodying all the perverse charm of what time, implacably, has swept away...Don’t pass it by.”—El Mundo (Spain)
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A wonderful novel, in the good old tradition, with intrigue, love, mystery and tender, audacious and well-drawn characters." --Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize Laureate
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"andlt;Iandgt;The Time in Betweenandlt;/Iandgt; is an epic novel with an unlikely Spanish heroine, Sira Quiroga, that takes us through one of the most turbulent times in Europe: the onset of World War II. Sira travels on a journey through romance, love, loss, and intrigue, all while discovering traits that she never dreamed she had. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and once I reached the end, I couldn't wait to start it all over again!" --Daisy Martinez, author of andlt;Iandgt;Daisy: Morning, Noon and Nightandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Daisy's Holiday Cookingandlt;/Iandgt;
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"An
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and#8220;It's exciting to find a deftly paced first novel with an engaging heroine, satisfying historical detail, and emotional balance. Love it!and#8221;andlt;Bandgt; --andlt;/Bandgt;Esmeralda Santiago andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Conquistadoraandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;When I was Puerto Ricanandlt;/iandgt;
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and#8220;Maria Dueand#241;as is a true storyteller. She weaves a spell, conjuring the heat and the glamour, the hardship and the thrill of Morocco and Spain in the late 1930s. The world of andlt;Iandgt;Casablancaandlt;/Iandgt; comes to life as war breaks and Sira Quiroga, a beautiful and betrayed seamstress, is forced to discover her own strength. At a time when everyone must do what they can to survive, some will go beyond. Resistance will be formed and history will be written. Read this book and prepare to be transported.and#8221; and#8211;Kate Morton, andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;Iandgt;The Distant Hoursandlt;/Iandgt;
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"Engaging, romantic, vivid and captivating. Who knew a story about a seamstress in Spain could be so intriguing and captivating? If you love thick, juicy female-led novels that sweep you away from all sense of time and responsibility, you need to read andlt;iandgt;The Time In Betweenandlt;/iandgt; by andlt;a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3295744.Mar_a_Due_as"andgt;Marand#237;a Dueand#241;asandlt;/aandgt;." - Kathy Cano-Murillo, author of andlt;iandgt;Waking Up in the Land of Glitterandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewingandlt;/iandgt;
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"Evocative, tender and lush; a wonderful experience of times and lives in turmoil." --Diana Gabaldon, author of the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling Outlander novels
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and#8220;This thrilling debut is marked by immaculate prose and a driving narrative, establishing Dueand#241;as as a writer to watch.and#8221; --starred andlt;Iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/Iandgt; review
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"Packed with engaging characters, flawlessly researched, and breathlessly paced." --starred andlt;iandgt;Booklistandlt;/iandgt; review
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"It is no surprise this debut novel was a runaway success in Europe.
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"From a terrific opening line to the final page, chapters zip by at a pulsing pace." andlt;Bandgt;--andlt;iandgt;USA TODAYandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;
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and#8220;With its detailed depictions of fashions and the fashionable crowd, exotic settings like Portuguese beaches and crowded bars in Tangiers, and a growing sense of danger and intrigue, andlt;iandgt;The Time In Between andlt;/iandgt;is a stunning novel.and#8220; --andlt;iandgt;Fort Worth Star-Telegramandlt;/iandgt;
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"It is no surprise this debut novel was a runaway success in Europe. American fans of historical fiction looking for a dramatic, uncomplicated escape will be similarly entranced." andlt;Bandgt;--andlt;iandgt;Library Journalandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/Bandgt;
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"How can a novel be both cruel and tender, dark and luminous all at the same time, and keep the reader glued to its pages with a complex, captivating narrative? Marand#237;a Dueand#241;as's novel manages to make this possible with a tale that is destined to become a literary classic." --Javier Sierra, bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;The Secret Supperandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;The Lady in Blueandlt;/iandgt;
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"An enticing debut novel from Spain, andlt;iandgt;The Time In Betweenandlt;/iandgt; is luxuriously landscaped with exotic geographies and international intrigue. Marand#237;a Dueand#241;as delivers a hefty book that's as smooth to read as the tailored lines of the haute couture her unforgettable protagonist creates." -- Fabiola Santiago, author of andlt;iandgt;Reclaiming Parisandlt;/iandgt;.
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"Imbued with magical realism, Barrios tale of lost loves sparkles. A gorgeously spun and deftly told tale." --
Kirkus "Barrios story combines the timeless quality of a fable with the fully imagined emotional force of a modern novel. [Her characters]...bring to the novel the embroidered richness of a family saga told and retold across generations." --
Publisher's Weekly "Carters translation of this whimsical novel offers a vivid and sultry language that perfectly reflects the Laguna family and their fantastical world. With self-healing wounds and pet cockroaches, this tale has it all. And while that can prove problematic, theres no doubt that Barrio is a wonderfully gifted storyteller." --
BooklistSynopsis
The Time In Between follows the story of a seamstress who becomes the most sought-after couturiere during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
Synopsis
The thrilling, internationally bestselling novel about a haute couture seamstress who becomes an undercover spy for the British Secret Service during World War II.
A #1 bestseller in Spain with more than 1.5 million copies sold, The Time In Between has taken readers by storm with its unforgettable tale of adventure, tragedy, love, and war. Readers will fall in love with MarÍa DueÑas’s dazzlingly inspiring heroine, Sira Quiroga.
Synopsis
In the tradition of Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate, The House of Impossible Loves is a novel set in twentieth-century Spain and France revolving around a family of cursed women.
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An “exuberant” (
El Mundo) debut novel of a family bound by searing passions, an earthy magic, and a very unusual curse
The Laguna women suffer from an odd affliction: each generation is condemned to tragic love affairs and to give birth only to girls who are unable to escape the cruel fate of their mothers. One fateful hunting season in their small Castilian town, a young landowner arrives and begins a passionate affair with Clara Laguna, the latest in the family line, daughter of a one-eyed woman known as “the Laguna witch.” He leaves her pregnant with yet another daughter, but the seeds of change are sown. Eventually the long-awaited son—Santiago, the great-great grandson of Clara—is born. A window of hope is opened, but is the curse truly over?
Introducing a cast of memorable, eccentric characters from a bearded, mute female cook to the local do-gooding priest and the indelible Laguna women themselves, The House of Impossible Loves is a feat of imaginative storytelling that marks the arrival of a talented new novelist.
About the Author
Marand#237;a Dueand#241;as is the author of the andlt;iandgt;New York Times andlt;/iandgt;and internationally bestselling novel andlt;iandgt;The Time In Betweenandlt;/iandgt;, which was translated into twenty-five languages and inspired a successful television series under the same title, as well as the highly acclaimed andlt;iandgt;The Heart Has Its Reasonsandlt;/iandgt;. She holds a PhD in English philology and is currently a professor at the University of Murcia. Dueand#241;as has also taught at American universities, authored several academic articles, and has participated in various educational, cultural, and editorial projects. She lives in Murcia, Spain.