CASTILLOS DE FUEGO

Castillos de fuego is a novel that contains more truth than many history books. It captures the pulse of a moment when fear nearly overcomes hope and drowns the path of hope out of devastation. A rebuilding period: the war has only ended for some, yet no one is safe; not those who groveled at the dictator's feet, nor those who fought to overthrow him.

Madrid, 1939-45: A heartrending period in history seems to be coming to a close, but the war isn't over for everyone. Many are struggling to get out of a city beleaguered by hunger, poverty, and profiteering. Among them are Eloy, a disabled young man trying to save his imprisoned brother from the death penalty; Alicia, a box-office clerk at a local cinema who lost her job for following her heart; Basilio, a professor bracing for a purge of academia; Matías, a member of Franco's Falange Party who traffics in seized goods; and Valentín, who is capable of countless vile acts so long as he can wipe clean the record of his former militance. Seamstresses, students, cops: this is a phenomenal fresco of the lives of everyday people during extraordinary times. Ignacio Martínez de Pisón is back with an ambitious choral novel that combines a masterful and well-supported historic setting with the fascinating lives of unforgettable characters, marking the culmination of his illustrious literary career. Ignacio Martínez de Pisón's most thrilling novel yet. Ignacio Martínez de Pisón (Zaragoza, 1960) is a best-selling literary author and a pivotal figure in the Spanish literary scene. He has published over a dozen titles, including novels, short-stories and a major book of narrative non-fiction (Enterrar a los muertos, Seix Barral, 2005 International Rodolfo Walsh Prize and Dulce Chacón Award). Among his works one should mention Carreteras secundarias (Anagrama, 1996 Seix Barral, 2011) that has two film adaptations, a Spanish and a French one, María bonita (Anagrama, 2000 Seix Barral, 2012), El tiempo de las mujeres (Anagrama, 2003- Seix Barral, 2012), El día de mañana (Seix Barral, 2011 National Critics Prize, Espartaco Award, Ciutat de Barcelona Award), La buena reputación (Seix Barral, 2014) the recipient of the Spanish National Book Award, Derecho Natural (Seix Barral, March 2017), the narrative non-fiction Filek, el estafador que engañó a Franco (Seix Barral, spring 2018) and Fin de temporada (Seix Barral, 2020). His latest novel is the long-awaited Castillos de Fuego (Seix Barral, 2023), that is an instant best-seller and is receiving extraordinary reviews.