Merce Rodereda is a highly regarded Catalan author who fled to France after the Spanish Civil War when the Catalan language was suppressed. She began writing again in the 1950s. The book spans some 30 years, including the Civil War, as seen through the eyes of the main character, Natalia, an ordinary woman. You share her experiences as she survives in a difficult time. A beautifully written, descriptive book with Barcelona as the backdrop - the doves in the title do not bring the peace with which we associate them.
(Christine Miller - bwl 37 December 2006 ) |
