This book at the start wasn’t quite what I was expecting and I wasn’t sure whether to read on but I’m glad I did as more of the relationship between Gordon and Emily was revealed I came to appreciate the tenderness in their relationship. What I particularly enjoyed though, and when I felt the story came alive, was the historical story of Badajoz. I felt this period in history during the Spanish Civil War was dramatically and realistically brought to life through the pages of this story along with the everlasting consequences. The last part of the book as the past and the present are brought neatly together is written in a really thought provoking way and brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. A good read.
Having retired from teaching, Gordon is determined to make the most of his time. A keen cyclist and voracious reader with a passion for learning, Gordon certainly won’t be like other retired people who waste their days watching daytime TV. Ageing is no barrier to self-discovery and from an innocent interest in DNA genealogy testing flow consequences he never anticipated.
His usual daily routine takes a different direction when he receives an unexpected solicitor’s letter informing him of an inheritance. His identity begins to unravel in the midst of his everyday life, throwing up unimagined links to the dark past of Franco’s era Spain and the infamous events of that country’s civil war. He finds himself vulnerable in south-west Spain, learns of his complex lineage and highly dangerous politics that shake his beliefs to the core. The history of the barbarity of Badajoz, the desperation of its inhabitants and the dramas played out on the nearby Spanish Portuguese border in the hot summer of 1936 become part of the fractured backdrop of Gordon’s current life. A startling final recognition in the town at the center of his quest brings him to a kind of closure. Badajoz is part of him.
Prepare to be captivated by this refreshingly different, exciting and utterly gripping historical thriller which spans families, decades, countries and culture and seamlessly fuses fiction with historical reality.
