Thanks to Atria Books I have one copy of THE TIME IN BETWEEN by Maria Dueñas to give away to a lucky reader from the US. Click here for details. Please remember: a comment is not an entry. You must click the link and fill out the form. Good luck!
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Spotlight:
Set in Madrid, Tetuán, and Lisbon before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War through the Second World War, THE TIME IN BETWEEN follows the life of Sira Quiroga. Born a poor seamstress in Madrid, Sira—after being abandoned in Tangiers by her lover—forges a new identity and becomes the most sought-after couturiere in North Africa, catering to the idle rich and the wealthy wives of high ranking officials.
Sira dreams only of paying off her debts and rescuing her mother from war-torn Madrid, but soon finds herself embroiled in a world of spies and counterspies. Her profession puts her in a perfect position to garner classified intelligence…and then pass it along to the British Secret Service through a secret code stitched into the hems of her haute couture dresses.
With THE TIME IN BETWEEN, Dueñas brilliantly succeeds in sweeping readers right into this tumultuous time in history. Her vibrant narrative powerfully transports you behind the scenes of high fashion and offers a fascinating lesson in an industry that managed—against all odds—to survive a period of intense political upheaval. Dueñas’ also has a talent for not only creating complex and fallible characters—especially her protagonist, Sira—but also vividly personifies the culture of the legendary colonial enclaves of North Africa, war-torn Madrid, and cosmopolitan Lisbon, flush with spies, opportunists, and refugees.
Maria Dueñas is fluent in English (she holds a PhD in English Philology and is currently a professor at the University of Murcia. She has also taught at American universities) and is available for interview if necessary. THE TIME IN BETWEEN is beautifully written and compulsively readable.
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Praise:
“A wonderful novel, in the old and good tradition, with intrigue, love, mystery and tender, audacious and clean-cut characters.”
–Mario Vargas Llosa, The Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate 2010
“This thrilling debut is marked by immaculate prose and a driving narrative, establishing Dueñas as a writer to watch.”
–Publisher’s Weekly, Starred Review
“Written by a college professor, this debut novel, a best-seller in Spain, is scheduled to publish in more than 20 languages and has already generated considerable prepub buzz.” –Booklist, Starred Review
“The Hot List: Must Reads” –Harper’s Bazaar
“It is no surprise this debut novel was a runaway success in Europe. American fans of historical fiction looking for a dramatic, uncomplicated escape will be similarly entranced.”
–Library Journal
“With its detailed depictions of fashions and the fashionable crowd, exotic settings like Portuguese beaches and crowded bars in Tangiers, and a growing sense of danger and intrigue, The Time In Between is a stunning novel.”
–Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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