The Time in Between
28. María Dueñas, The Time in Between (trans. Daniel Hahn)
Sira Quiroga begins life as a humble seamstress in Madrid in the first half of the 20th century. She grows up, becomes engaged to a nice man, and sees the rest of her life stretching out before her, placid and uneventful. But everything changes when she meets a charming salesman who sweeps her off her feet. She falls deeply in love and moves with him to the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco, a decision that irrevocably changes the course of her life. In the following decades, Sira will become the most noted dressmaker in Morocco, associate with the most important figures in the Spanish government, and finally become a spy for the English as World War II threatens to engulf her country and her way of life.
I was so interested in this book, based on its plot and setting, that I almost bought it in hardcover. Thank goodness I didn’t! This is one of those historical fiction books where the author seems to be saying, “Hey, look how much research I did!” The book does appear to be meticulously researched, and it’s full of detail about life in Morocco and Spain during the Spanish Civil War and the early years of World War II. However, aside from the copious historical details, I wasn’t very impressed with this book. I didn’t particularly care about any of the characters, since none of them have much of a personality; they’re simply conduits for Dueñas to display her historical knowledge. Additionally, the book is entirely too long; at least 400 of its 600 pages could have been lopped off and I wouldn’t have missed them. Overall, while this book isn’t completely awful, I was definitely disappointed!