May 2012 Feature of the Month: Books Set in Spain

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 8:57 am

I've read Driving Over Lemons, Shadow of the Wind and Ines of My Soul. I loved Shadow of the Wind, one of my favourites. I enjoyed the other two.

I have The Last Queen, Cathedral of the Sea, Zorro and The Queen's Sorrow on my TBR pile.

I'll have a look through my books to see if I can see some others which are set in Spain.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 9:06 am

I loved Shadow of the Wind too, it's another favourite - not quite sure if it would qualify as HF in the true sense but I enjoyed it and parts of it creeped me out! I have the sort of sequel, Angel's Game, on mount tbr.

annis · Post by **annis** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 9:25 am

Margaret's mention of Lion Feuchtwanger in her post on philosophical HF reminded me that Feuchtwanger also wrote a biographical novel about Goya, called This is the Hour. It has been reprinted with the title Goya

sweetpotatoboy · Post by **sweetpotatoboy** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 12:55 pm

[quote=""MLE""]The Last Queen -- C.W. Gortner
The Lions of Al-Rassan -- Guy Gavriel Kay
The Last Jew -- Noah Gordon
The Walking Drum -- Louis L'Amour
The Celestina, Don Quixote, Lazarillo de Tormes, El Cid.[/quote]

I've read all the above, plus the Lofts and Plaidy books.
James A. Michener's "Mexico" is good too if that fits the definition. His "Iberia", however, is not a novel but a travel and reflections book.
Also - "The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon" by Richard Zimler and its follow-ups.
One of my favourite novels of all time is "The Death and Life of Miguel de Cervantes" by Stephen Marlowe. He also wrote two other Spanish novels: "Colossus" (about Goya) and "The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus". I have these but not read them yet.

One I don't recommend is "Soldier of God" by Diane Brenda Bryan. The subject could be fascinating: about a family of Secret Jews who escape Portugal for Mexico. But it's written so poorly, IMHO, and the Jewish elements just did not ring true.

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 2:14 pm

Captain from Castile by Samuel Shellabarger (16thC Spain and expeditions to the New World).

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 2:32 pm

[quote=""Ludmilla""]Captain from Castile by Samuel Shellabarger (16thC Spain and expeditions to the New World).[/quote]
Now that is an embarrassing omission on my part -- it's on my list of top 20 all-time favorites, and I clean forgot it! (Oh for the days when novels could unashamedly root for the conquerors! Now I can't read them without feeling a PC twinge for the hapless indigenous peoples.)
I also forgot a more recent read, Lynn Cullen's novel on Sofonisba Anguissola (had to cut-and-paste to get that name right) The Creation of Eve.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 2:37 pm

Another I just remembered, if we are counting time-slip as historical fiction, is The Ghost of Hannah Mendes by Naomi Ragen.

annis · Post by **annis** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 5:55 pm

adam Williams has written a novel set in Andalucia, which alternates between the 11th century late Moorish period and the 1930s, during the Spanish Civil War It's called The Book of the Alchemist

princess garnet · Post by **princess garnet** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 8:41 pm

[quote=""MLE""] How could I forget Crown of Aloes? Read that years ago. And Plaidy's Spain books (smacks self on forehead.) Including The Spanish Bridegroom, about Philip II, although it is called something else now.[/quote]
For a Queen's Love
I wish the title had remained the same for the reissue!

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Thu May 3rd, 2012, 9:17 pm

Guernica by Dave Boling is set during the Spanish Civil War. I really enjoyed this one.