Nuria Capdevila-argue Livres

Set in early twentieth-century Spain, this lyrical coming-of-age novel is narrated by a woman painter, María Luisa, who navigates her artistic journey and relationships with women. The first-person narrative spans from the turn of the century to the onset of the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939), chronicling her transformation from an imaginative tomboy to a compliant wife and mother, ultimately asserting her independence as a portrait painter within Madrid's bohemian and queer circles. Throughout her journey, she encounters a vibrant cast of characters who both support and challenge her quest for self-discovery. María Luisa's poetic and sensuous reflections blend with lively dialogue, offering a rich exploration of her life. The author, Elena Fortún, known for her children's literature, left this manuscript unpublished at her death in 1952 due to its semi-autobiographical nature, which could have invited homophobic backlash during Franco's dictatorship. The first Spanish edition was released in 2016, celebrated as Fortún's adult masterpiece and a significant addition to her children's saga, Celia and Her World. This edition, translated by Jeffrey Zamostny, is the first to appear in any language besides Spanish and includes a foreword by scholar Nuria Capdevila-Argüelles, marking a vital contribution to women's studies, LGBT histories, and Spanish literature.

Novel about the Spanish Civil War, written shortly after the end of the war in 1943, with no room for distortion or idealization of what was lived. These pages recount not only the difficult and eventful life of a teenager, Celia, in a besieged Madrid, but also serve as a kind of autobiographical chronicle of Elena Fortún herself.