España franquista en busca de aires nuevos, por lo que embarca en un buque desde Le Havre con destino a los Estados Unidos. En Nueva York cambiará de identidad y se convertirá en ciudadano estadounidense como Jean Leon. Su peripecia vital lo lleva hasta California, donde su espíritu emprendedor y una serie de golpes de suerte lo sitúan a un paso de la gloria, junto a las estrellas de cine a las que admira y de las que se convertirá en amigo y confidente.
Con James Dean planea abrir La Scala, un restaurante que, a pesar de la muerte prematura del actor, seconvertirá en un referente en el Hollywood de los años cincuenta y sesenta y que contó con clientes habituales como Paul Newman, Warren Beatty, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor o los Kennedy.
Con una vida de película, Jean Leon demostró que, con sacrificio y esfuerzo, los sueños, incluso el de elaborar su propio vino, están al alcance de la mano.
Grabado en español ibérico (España).
From the fascist Franco regime to Hollywood’s glamour—an epic historical novel based on the meteoric rise of one of the world’s most celebrated restaurateurs.
Ceferino Carrión is desperate for a new life—one of opportunity, fortune, and fame. But he knows he’ll never find this life in war-torn Spain. With his home country under the heel of the devastating Franco dictatorship and call-up papers on his doorstep, Cefe knows there’s only one thing he can do: run.
A new life awaits in America, as does a new name—Jean Leon. From the concrete valleys of the Bronx to the sun-soaked hills of California, Jean crosses paths with legendary superstars, political powerhouses, and dangerous mobsters as he flees his past and pursues his dreams. With friends like Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean to see him through, Jean soon gets his own taste of stardom, opening his glamourous Beverly Hills restaurant, La Scala, to nightly swarms of celebrities.
But with every new adrenaline rush of celebrity, Jean is further distanced from everyone he loves. Only in searching through his ever-receding past in Barcelona can he find the key to unlock the dream life he has risked so much to build.
