Helen Griffiths (1)

This is the story of two young people in Spain, who fall in love just as unrest broils into civil war. When the first pages unfold, laying down a detailed setting of their lives in neighboring villages, their greatest obstacle is the local conflict. For generations there’s been friction between the two villages, intermarriages seriously frowned upon. I connected with these characters easily, so perceptive and adroit is the author’s description of their thoughts, feelings and intentions. show more Bernardo, from the smaller village, is a gentle soul, a dreamer who loves books especially poetry, and is content to work with his hands. His brother is the opposite- ambitious, uncaring towards his family, in the end full of fire for one thing- a political ideal. The brothers part ways early, but later their stories intertwine in dismaying fashion. Elvira, daughter of a prosperous shopkeeper in the larger village, is high-spirited and vivacious. She catches Bernardo’s eye at a festival the two villages jointly participate in, and he sets his heart on marrying her. First there is a long, constrained courtship- not only because their families would disapprove, but also because Elvira is held back by her religious upbringing, and harbors doubts (asks herself, does she really love him, or is she just overwhelmed by new emotions?). While Bernardo isn’t as deeply ingrained by tradition, his sole focus is her, and he’s willing to grasp the opportunity presented by a new law: they could have a civil marriage, without their parents’ blessing. A hugely controversial thing back then. As Bernardo grows increasingly impatient waiting for Elvira’s consent, they start planning how to get around the circumstances and be together.

But civil war sweeps over the country. Unlike his older brother, Bernardo has no interest in politics. In attempting to put together a future for himself and Elvira though, his choices go awry and he gets caught up in the turbulence. At first his only thought is to reunite with his love, but then it becomes a matter of just staying alive. Elvira also leaves her village for the city, attempting to find Bernardo, even though she knows it will be risky and dangerous. She has no idea what she’s stepping into. The ending, though so realistic- is tragic. I wish I hadn’t known a crucial piece of it beforehand. The story was gripping enough that I had trouble putting this book down at all over the past two days, but it would have been even more so without a bit of quoted praise in the frontispiece telling me a main characters dies. I guess they had leeway to do so, as the preface written by the author reveals this to the reader. It’s the only criticism I hold about the whole book!

Such a touchingly deep, bitterly heartfelt story. So alive and nuanced. I should have expected it, but I’m amazed at how well this author writes people– the delicate and unspoken connections in relationships. Not only the depth of feeling the two young lovers have for each other, but the disparity between the brothers, the parents’ hopes and fears for their children on both sides, the caution they hold from years of own experience, yet unable to dissuade their grown sons and daughters from forging their own paths, making their own mistakes in the name of love. And the great irony, that those in this story who live in more or less arranged marriages, had some stability, contentment and ease of existence. Whereas Bernardo and Elvira, full of passion for each other, a depth of emotion and loyalty the others don’t understand, could not attain a place to call their own and live together. So sad. Especially how the furious insanity of war rolls over them, catching all these innocent lives up and senselessly destroying them. Some make it through alive, but none are without scars and sorrow.

from the Dogear Diary show less

Story of a stray dog, born in a derelict house and living on the streets. Only two puppies survive out of her littermates. She has a rough start. Most people ignore stray dogs in the poor neighborhood where she lives. Some children chase and torment them, others are kind and try to befriend them. One boy tries to take in the puppy, but his mother won't let him bring her indoors, he ties her up outside until the neighbors complain, then he has to get rid of her. He asks a friend to have his show more dad drive her to a distant part of town and dump her there. She's bewildered by the change, but eventually takes up with a group of dogs that hangs around a gypsy camp, attaching herself to another young boy. The dog is content living with them for nearly a year. When he leaves for a distant opportunity she's left behind, having a litter of pups to care for (an earlier litter she bore died quickly from cold exposure). After her puppies are grown and dispersed she wanders off looking for the boy and never finds him but befriends a lonely old man who spends most of his days sitting on a park bench. He can't keep her though, and when he dies, his daughter drives the dog away from the vicinity. She wanders off bereft again, and eventually starts hanging around with a pair of dogs that live at a construction site. The workers like the dogs there because they bark at night scaring off would-be thieves; children and a few kind-hearted adults in the apartments nearby feed them scraps. Here the dog finds acceptance at last- some children become very fond of her and eventually their family takes her in. It is a long gradual process though, because all her past experiences - being beaten, chased and otherwise abused at different points in her life on the streets- makes her very wary of getting close to people again.

I really like this author. I'd love to get my hands on all her books. The writing is very descriptive yet concise and easy enough for children to grasp, but with mature themes- obviously doesn't shy away from telling of the hardships animals experience, and cruelty of some humans. The characters- dogs and people alike- all are distinct personalities and very realistic. I could have read this book in one day but stretched it over two on purpose.

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Jamie wants a dog, but his mother says no, there's not enough room or money at home. When a dog he's befriended is suddenly for sale, a classmate lends the money to Jamie, but at a price. Is all the deception and trouble to keep Silver worth it?

Good story, showing how breaking one rule can lead to bigger troubles, but the author conveys the moral without being preachy.

Spain, 1939, two orphaned boys, Francisco Javier and Pepe, have run away from the orphanage and travel through the country. Pepe dreams of being a toreador. Sometimes at night he enters a pasture where bulls are, to challenge them. One night Pepe gets killed by a bull and Francisco Javier barely survives trying to save his friend. Francisco Javier is nursed back to health by the daughter of the landowner and gets a job: taking care of the old mare Gaviota (we know her from the previous book show more The last summer). He dreams of riding Gaviota's son, Gavilán, and becoming a rejoneador (bullfighter on horse). show less