In the small town of Torrelodones on the outskirts of Madrid, a funeral is taking place. Julio Carrion Gonzalez, a man of tremendous wealth and influence in Madrid, has come home to be buried. But as the family stand by the graveside, his son Alvaro notices the arrival of a stranger—a young and attractive woman. No one appears to know who she is, or why she is there. Alvaro's questions only deepen when the family inherits an enormous amount of money that is a surprise even to them. In his father's study Alvaro discovers an old folder with letters sent to his father in Russia between 1941 and 1943, faded photos of people he never met and a locked grey metal box. The woman is Raquel Fernandez Perea, the daughter of Spaniards who fled during the Civil War. One episode in her past has marked her for ever—the only time she saw her grandfather cry. Her fate, and that of the family, now hangs on the secrets of Julio's past. From the provincial heartlands of Spain to the battlefields of Russia, The Frozen Heart is a mesmerizing journey through a war that tore families apart, pitted fathers against sons, brothers against brothers, and wives against husbands. Against such a past, where do faith and loyalty lie?

The Frozen Heart

GRANDES, ALMUDENA

Parenting & Relationships

Orion Publishing

In the small town of Torrelodones on the outskirts of Madrid, a funeral is taking place. Julio Carrion Gonzalez, a man of tremendous wealth and influence in Madrid, has come home to be buried. But as the family stand by the graveside, his son Alvaro notices the arrival of a stranger—a young and attractive woman. No one appears to know who she is, or why she is there. Alvaro's questions only deepen when the family inherits an enormous amount of money that is a surprise even to them. In his father's study Alvaro discovers an old folder with letters sent to his father in Russia between 1941 and 1943, faded photos of people he never met and a locked grey metal box. The woman is Raquel Fernandez Perea, the daughter of Spaniards who fled during the Civil War. One episode in her past has marked her forever—the only time she saw her grandfather cry. Her fate, and that of the family, now hangs on the secrets of Julio's past. From the provincial heartlands of Spain to the battlefields of Russia, this is a mesmerizing journey through a war that tore families apart, pitted fathers against sons, brothers against brothers, wives against husbands. Against such a past, where do faith and loyalty lie?

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

The Wind from the East

Literary

Weidenfeld&Nicolson

At just fifteen years old, Lulu, a "round, hungry little girl," finds that her erotic cravings are already powerfully established when she is seduced by a family friend, Pablo, twelve years her senior. This initial encounter incites the violent power play that drives an adult Lulu through a series of increasingly titillating sexual exploits. Always fascinated by the thin line separating decency and morality from perversion, Lulu gains the courage to explore the darker side of her carnal desires—but as her forays become increasingly desperate, the world of illicit and dangerous sex threatens to engulf her completely. A groundbreaking novel of sexual exploration, The Ages of Lulu sparked international controversy and was an overnight sensation when it was first published in Spain fifteen years ago. It won the Sonrisa Vertical Prize for erotic fiction, and was made into a film starring Javier Bardem.

The Ages of Lulu

Little, Brown UK Paperbacks

Set in Madrid in the 1970s and '80s, this novel offers insights in female sexuality. At 15 Lulu is seduced by an older man. They marry and have a child, but at 30 she embarks on a series of dubious sexual encounters which brings her into contact with low-life characters of all sexual inclinations.

Abacus Books

Internationally celebrated author Almudena Grandes has produced her finest work yet with The Wind from the East, a blend of two narratives set alternately in Madrid and an Andalusian town by the sea. Sara Gómes Morales,given up at birth to be raised by her wealthy godmother,is betrayed on her sixteenth birthday when she is forced to leave her godmother’s home and return to live in poverty with her estranged parents. Tortured by resentment and the loneliness of belonging to neither place,she finds solace as an adult only when she moves to the coastal town.Parallel to Sara’s story is the story of Juan and Damian Olmedo, brothers in love with the same woman. One night an argument incited by jealousy leads Damian to stumble down a flight ofstairs and fall to his death. Suspected ofmurdering his younger brother, Juan flees to the same village that served as Sara’s escape. Deftly engaging, The Wind from the Eastis an epic tale of love and redemption. Almudena Grandes' writing has been compared to the work of classic and contemporary voices such as the Brontë sisters and Isabel Allende.

Contemporary

Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )

A sweeping epic saga about the Spanish Civil War—the Spanish Dr. Zhivago In a small town on the outskirts of Madrid, a funeral is taking place. Julio Carrion Gonzalez, a man of tremendous wealth and influence in Madrid, has come home to be buried. But as the family stand by the graveside, his son Alvaro notices the arrival of an attractive stranger—no one appears to know who she is, or why she is there. Alvaro's questions deepen when the family inherits an enormous amount of money, a surprise even to them. In his father's study Alvaro discovers an old folder with letters sent to his father in Russia between 1941 and 1943, faded photos of people he never met, and a locked grey metal box. The woman is Raquel Fernandez Perea, the daughter of Spaniards who fled during the Civil War. From the provincial heartlands of Spain to the battlefields of Russia, this is a mesmerizing journey through a war that tore families apart, pitting fathers against sons, brothers against brothers, and wives against husbands. Against such a past, where do faith and loyalty lie?

Phoenix

This is the lurid and compelling story of the sexual awakening of Maria Luisa Ruiz-Poveda y Garcia de la Casa - affectionately known by her family as Lulu. The Ages of Lulu is a marvel of intense eroticism - the sexiest book to burst onto the international literary scene since Story of O. Though Lulu had a relatively happy childhood, she is haunted by memories of hand-me-downs and parental neglect. Often left to her own devices, Lulu finds that her erotic cravings are already powerfully established when, at fifteen, she is seduced by her older brother's best friend. Pablo is twelve years her senior, a worldly-wise poet, and an intimate friend of the family. His eagerness to play the roles of both father-figure and lover makes him seem the perfect partner, and Lulu's secret pleasure at her submissive role - and its subversion - spurs them on. Lulu has always been fascinated by the thin line separating decency and morality from perversion, and now Pablo gives her the courage to explore the darker side of her carnal desires. When Pablo returns after a few years studying and teaching in America, he finds a young woman sexually experienced and fearless, challenging even his imagination. They marry and begin an emotionally charged and erotically adventurous relationship, but Pablo's promiscuous nature and the dark passions he has helped Lulu discover provoke her to embark on a series of dubious sexual encounters. Lulu at first finds gratification in this brush with low-life characters of all sexual inclinations, but as her forays become increasingly desperate, the world of illicit and dangerous sex threatens to engulf her completely.

Grove Pr

A young Frenchwoman goes to work in a butcher's shop during her college vacation. Every day the butcher whispers obscenities in her ear, describing their imagined lovemaking. And as the summer heat takes hold, so does her lust. Here The Butcher is coupled with Reyes' second novella, Lucie's Long Voyage, which also features her irresistible blend of sensual earthiness and the dreamlike imagery of a fractured fairy tale.

Romance

GROVE PRESS

At just fifteen years old, Lulu, a "round, hungry little girl," finds that her erotic cravings are already powerfully established when she is seduced by a family friend, Pablo, twelve years her senior. This initial encounter incites the violent power play that drives an adult Lulu through a series of increasingly titillating sexual exploits. Always fascinated by the thin line separating decency and morality from perversion, Lulu gains the courage to explore the darker side of her carnal desires—but as her forays become increasingly desperate, the world of illicit and dangerous sex threatens to engulf her completely. A groundbreaking novel of sexual exploration, The Ages of Lulu sparked international controversy and was an overnight sensation when it was first published in Spain fifteen years ago. It won the Sonrisa Vertical Prize for erotic fiction, and was made into a film starring Javier Bardem.

The Ages of Lulu: A Novel

United States

Seven Stories Press

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Books by GRANDES, ALMUDENA

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by GRANDES, ALMUDENA. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Frozen Heart

The Frozen Heart

The Wind from the East

The Ages of Lulu

The Ages of Lulu

The Wind from the East

The Frozen Heart

The Ages of Lulu

The Ages of Lulu

The Ages of Lulu: A Novel