Proof I Was Here

Finished April 2

Proof I Was Here by Becky Blake

I love finding another great Canadian author and this book is a great read. The main character Niki has moved to Barcelona to join her fiance. He is working here and she arranged the packing up of all their stuff in Toronto and followed him. Their wedding is set for a few weeks after she arrives. But days after she arrives, he calls off the wedding, and says that he no longer wants to marry her. 

Niki grew up poor and she was flattered by her fiance's attention, but now she is left reeling. She leaves their apartment in a panic to get away and takes nothing with her, no wallet or keys or anything of real value. She finds herself living among the homeless, among pickpockets and buskers, squatters and graffiti artists. 

To add to the situation, just before leaving Toronto, she gave in to a strange impulse and tried to shoplift a scarf, and she got caught, She has a summons to appear in court shortly after her wedding date, but has no intention of going. Still, there is a worry in the back of her mind about what that will mean.

Now, on the streets she is stealing again, learning how to pick a mark, how to distract attention. She is also learning to see those people she really didn't notice before and the things that people throw away that are still of value. 

Her life has changed dramatically and she has to determine how she will live. 

I liked seeing how Niki adjusted to her situation, connecting to others, and discovering a side to Barcelona that she wouldn't have seen if this hadn't happened. 

Niki isn't a bad person, but she's made some bad choices, and had some bad things happen in her life, both recently and long ago. I liked seeing how she discovered herself in new ways. This book really grew on me the further I got into it.

The Prisoner of Heaven

Finished August 17
Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, read by Peter Kenny

We are transported back to Barcelona, moving between 1957 and 1939/40, this novel continues the story begun in the novel The Shadow of the Wind (read before I began blogging), and also brings characters from the novel The Angels Game (haven't read yet). Once again, as in The Shadow of the Wind, we have the main character Daniel Sempere telling us the story. Daniel is married to Bea now and has a young son. His friend Fermin Romero de Torres also plays a large role here, telling us of the events from the 1939/40 period, when Daniel was a small child and Fermin suffered a period of imprisonment. Fermin's difficult, almost fantastic, story includes that of a fellow prisoner, the writer David Martin, a friend of Daniel's mother Isabella. We learn part of Isabella's story here as well.
The past is brought forward by a strange visitor to the bookstore, who has Daniel conveying a message to Fermin, who opens up about his past and the connection to Daniel's family. This is a story of Spain under Franco, a story of friendship, jealousy and trust. Daniel's story moves forward, leaving us looking towards more story at the end, and yet developing his character and his relationship with his wife. We see how the past never truly lets go, influencing our lives and our relationships. I look forward to Daniel's further adventures in future novels.

Epic Audiobook

Finished November 13
Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones, translated by Nick Caistor, read by Paul Michael
This long (18 CD) book is a gripping tale that follows the lives Bernard Estanyol and his son Arnau. Bernard was born a serf, and when his father dies his lord takes advantage of numerous rights that enrage and frustrate Bernard.
As a last resort he and his infant son Arnau escape to Barcelona, where they take refuge with Bernard's sisters family, a family that Bernard and his father helped to be successful as potter artisans. The city is just beginning two large building projects, a cathedral and the church of Santa Maria de la Mar. Santa Maria is a church built by the people for the people and this book also revolves around its construction.
As a boy, Arnau joins the guild of men who transport goods, the bastaixos. This guild also hauls stones from the quarry to Santa Maria to be used to build the church and Arnau becomes a true member of the guild by hauling his first stone.
In the various times of crisis the city faces, Arnau survives severe hunger, joins the king's army, and defends Jews attacked by prejudiced zealots. He becomes a successful and respected member of the community.
When he is betrayed and brought on charges before the Inquisition, he learns who his true friends are and how much Barcelona has become his home.
I learned a lot of history here, but in a very entertaining way. The book offers moments of hearbreak and hope and I am not surprised it was so successful in Spain. It won the Euskadi de Plata 2006 for the best novel in Spanish, the Que Leer 2007 Prize for the best book, as well as the Italian Giovanni Boccaccio 2007 award for the best foreign author. It has been published in thirty-two countries.