RMST 202

This book was a great read but also was very challenging due to the subject matter. “The time of the doves” is considered as a classic of Catalan literature and provides an incredible insight into daily life during the Spanish Civil War. Through the mesmerizing voice of Natalia, often called Colometa, we witness a young woman's heart-wrenching journey of hardship, loss, and resilience. The novel opens at the vibrant Diamond Square, where the simple act of dancing with the domineering Quimet marks a turning point in Natalia's life. From the suffocating domesticity of her marriage and the birth of children to the devastating shortages and betrayals brought on by war, we witness how large-scale historical events forever warp her life.There's a theme of quietly defying expectations. Natalia doesn't have grand ambitions, she just wants a life not ruled by fear and hunger. The fact that she keeps fighting back against those giant forces is what makes the book so powerful. The...

  I greatly enjoyed reading Black Shack Alley although it was at times challenging to read due to its subject matter and was certainly not the light reading I was hoping for in the midst of midterm season. The novel is set in Martinique, and details the struggles that befall the Black community in post-colonial Martinique. Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Martinique did not gain full independence and instead became an overseas department of France.  It is under this backdrop that we follow the story of José from childhood all the way to adolescence. All this takes place amidst the systemic discrimination imposed against Blacks by the government within postcolonial Martinique. Through the struggles of José and his family, Zobel illuminates the challenges of overcoming poverty and achieving social mobility in a system designed to maintain the status quo. When I was reading the novel, I was able to really empathize with José’s character, who despite being a just a normal litt...

  This book was a great read and set in a very familiar environment, I studied abroad in Barcelona last semester! I really enjoyed the writing style and reading a book set in a place that I have been – it really helped me to better picture the characters of the novel. The story largely follows the tale of Andrea, a young woman who arrives in Barcelona looking to start a new life as a student. As a Political Science student, I found the depictions of Francoist Spain to be particularly poignant and it greatly increased my enjoyment of the book.   Nada goes to live with some relatives of her mother and is brought into one of the most insane families that I have ever read about. They are unbelievably dysfunctional, and all of them desperately need long term and intensive therapy. This chaotic family life is portrayed against the backdrop of the desperation and poverty experienced within Spain at the time. This juxtaposition of a deeply dysfunctional family against the backdrop of ...

       As I read “The Shrouded Woman” I was haunted by its themes of death and effective use of a “stream of consciousness” style of narration. The author’s choice to set the novel primarily on the deathbed of Ana Maria is highly provocative and provides a great way of telling a posthumous story in a compelling way. I really enjoyed reading the novel and greatly appreciated the writing style and the use of a “memory” method of storytelling similar to that of Combray. The book is primarily set on Ana Maria’s deathbed, where the other characters in the text are to believe that she is dead. However, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that she is really aware of her surroundings and knows when the people who were in her life come to visit her. Throughout the text, she hears the voices of those who visit her and relives various experiences from her life. This experience helps the reader to better understand the circumstances surrounding her life. The most powerful...