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Madrid Again: A Novel
A modern-day bildungsroman, featuring a young woman on a quest to discover her family history as she is torn between the US and Spain, the old world and the new.
Told with humor, candor, and grit, Madrid Again is a highly original novel, and an homage to the haunting power of history, and how it shapes the identity of two generations of women.
Madrid, 1960s. Odilia is a brilliant young student who seems to have it all until she is unexpectedly spirited away on an exciting journey across the Atlantic to the United States by a magnetic professor. But the professor disappears from Odilia’s life as mysteriously as he appeared. Left alone in a new country with a baby girl, Lola, Odilia must decide whether to strike out and raise her daughter alone, or return to her strict, upper-class Catholic family in Spain. Mother and daughter travel to Madrid as often as possible, but Odilia ultimately chooses a life of self-reliance in New England.
As Lola grows up, she feels torn between two countries, two cultures, and two languages. She becomes a historian and embarks on a quest to seek out the history of her origins. She wrestles with family secrets, as she struggles to answer questions about her own identity and future. How does she fit in to the United States, Spain, or anywhere else?
Told with humor, candor, and grit, Madrid Again is a highly original novel, and an homage to the haunting power of history, and how it shapes the identity of two generations of women.
Madrid, 1960s. Odilia is a brilliant young student who seems to have it all until she is unexpectedly spirited away on an exciting journey across the Atlantic to the United States by a magnetic professor. But the professor disappears from Odilia’s life as mysteriously as he appeared. Left alone in a new country with a baby girl, Lola, Odilia must decide whether to strike out and raise her daughter alone, or return to her strict, upper-class Catholic family in Spain. Mother and daughter travel to Madrid as often as possible, but Odilia ultimately chooses a life of self-reliance in New England.
As Lola grows up, she feels torn between two countries, two cultures, and two languages. She becomes a historian and embarks on a quest to seek out the history of her origins. She wrestles with family secrets, as she struggles to answer questions about her own identity and future. How does she fit in to the United States, Spain, or anywhere else?
192 pages, Hardcover
Published November 17, 2020
3 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 7, 2020
Soledad Maura has woven a magical, cross-cultural, transnational tapestry that will prove vital in these times when global migration is both so poignant yet controversial. Maura’s fiction reads at a much faster pace than in her biographies, perfect for this book and genre. Still, she is able to transport the skill she uses in creating such a sense of intimacy in her non-fiction work to her novel. It may be very cliché to say that I felt I was walking the streets of Madrid with her—briskly--but I kept feeling that incredible sensation, again and again.
November 27, 2020
Madrid Again is a captivating novel that is unputdownable - a welcome escape from 2020. It is the story of a mother and daughter moving between the United States and Spain. The narrator, Lola, provides vivid descriptions of the customs and philosophies of both cultures as she struggles to determine which country is her true home.
The author, Soledad Maura, has written a powerful novel that explores what it means to be resilient, the desire to belong and the importance of family and of heritage. This book will take you on an unforgettable journey.
The author, Soledad Maura, has written a powerful novel that explores what it means to be resilient, the desire to belong and the importance of family and of heritage. This book will take you on an unforgettable journey.
January 10, 2021
I am a bit shocked at these positive reviews. This book is under 200 pages long and I struggled to get through it. The writing is not good. The topics of finding home, the legacy of the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorship, being torn between two cultures, and the meaning of family are close to my heart but are not explored in depth or in an interesting way here. The second half deals mostly with the main character's quest to find a man. Unclear why this is important or why we should care.
There is a bizarre chapter in which Lola takes a weekend trip to Marbella to stay with wealthy friends and feels completely ill at ease. She is perplexed by the Fritos on the counter: "I expected them to be limp and stale. In fact, I *wanted* them to be stale. But they weren't. These people knew how to keep their Fritos fresh and crispy, and someone was paid to make sure this was the case." What?!
At another point in the book, speaking of the tragedies of the Spanish Civil War, she writes, "Decades of weirdness followed." Not sure that's how I would characterize a fascist dictatorship where thousands were sent to concentration camps but okay!
I did enjoy the photographs included at the beginning of each chapter, especially the archival photos of Madrid (although I have concerns about the lack of photo credits, particularly for artworks.) There are some nice descriptions of Madrid (the old elevators with wooden doors, mirrored ceilings, and small velvet benches took me right back) and the explanation of cultural differences between Spain and the US rang true.
I almost feel bad writing this because it feels like this book is more of a personal project than a book that is meant to be read widely and judged on par with other works of contemporary fiction.
There is a bizarre chapter in which Lola takes a weekend trip to Marbella to stay with wealthy friends and feels completely ill at ease. She is perplexed by the Fritos on the counter: "I expected them to be limp and stale. In fact, I *wanted* them to be stale. But they weren't. These people knew how to keep their Fritos fresh and crispy, and someone was paid to make sure this was the case." What?!
At another point in the book, speaking of the tragedies of the Spanish Civil War, she writes, "Decades of weirdness followed." Not sure that's how I would characterize a fascist dictatorship where thousands were sent to concentration camps but okay!
I did enjoy the photographs included at the beginning of each chapter, especially the archival photos of Madrid (although I have concerns about the lack of photo credits, particularly for artworks.) There are some nice descriptions of Madrid (the old elevators with wooden doors, mirrored ceilings, and small velvet benches took me right back) and the explanation of cultural differences between Spain and the US rang true.
I almost feel bad writing this because it feels like this book is more of a personal project than a book that is meant to be read widely and judged on par with other works of contemporary fiction.
September 2, 2020
MADRID AGAIN is a moving story about a young woman, Lola, who navigates through her life balancing her Americanness and her Spanish heritage. The novel is told through her perspective from prior to her birth to chronicle her Odilia’s (her mother) story of being a single parent traveling back and forth from Madrid and the US. Odilia’s story of being a single parent, being resilient, and self reliant while her affluent family is back in Madrid speaks to Odilia’s strength and her love for Lola.
This was a beautifully written novel and it’s a novel that makes you think about the political and social expectations of society that has deeply affected this family. Lola’s journey to discovering more about her past, her family heritage, and her balancing act of being a part of two cultures is a narrative that I can personally relate to.
This was a beautifully written novel and it’s a novel that makes you think about the political and social expectations of society that has deeply affected this family. Lola’s journey to discovering more about her past, her family heritage, and her balancing act of being a part of two cultures is a narrative that I can personally relate to.
November 11, 2020
This is a lovely novel about a young woman who feels the tug of two countries and two cultures. Lola was raised by her mother Odilia, who moves them back and forth between Spain and the US. Now as a young adult, she finds herself searching for answers about her family and herself. Not that unusual, to be sure, but Maura has captured the struggle of an immigrant to decide where her heart belongs. Odilia chose the US but never fully let go of her roots. And where is Lola an immigrant- is it in the US or in Spain? Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This is propelled by wonderful writing.
August 31, 2020
Madrid Again is a subtle, shimmering novel about searching—for identity, for secrets, and ultimately for home. Like Fox Maura herself, as well as her main character, it is a book as American as it is Spanish. An immigrant story about finding belonging between two cultures, and a postwar story about communing with the ghosts of history.
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February 16, 2021An absolutely wonderful description of growing up in two cultures, with superb and honest insight.
I also grew up in two cultures (English is my second language) and spent three years in Spain in the ‘70s, so can identify readily with Lola’s plight and descriptions.
There is a vivid sense of the Spanish Civil War and its legacy, frequently overlooked as it recedes into the historical mist of the 20th century. But that war was seminal to an understanding of World War 2 and the post war world in which we’re living.
I loved this book and will read it again and again.
Dom V.,
I also grew up in two cultures (English is my second language) and spent three years in Spain in the ‘70s, so can identify readily with Lola’s plight and descriptions.
There is a vivid sense of the Spanish Civil War and its legacy, frequently overlooked as it recedes into the historical mist of the 20th century. But that war was seminal to an understanding of World War 2 and the post war world in which we’re living.
I loved this book and will read it again and again.
Dom V.,
January 13, 2021
A gorgeous debut from Soledad Fox Maura. Beautifully vivid and cinematic, Madrid Again is a tale of two countries—Spain and the United States—as well as the search for the true meaning of family and of home.
March 15, 2021
3.75
Short and sweet and takes place partially in the greatest city in the world? What's not to like. The beginning of the book has almost a noir-ish feel. I truly enjoyed it.
Short and sweet and takes place partially in the greatest city in the world? What's not to like. The beginning of the book has almost a noir-ish feel. I truly enjoyed it.
July 21, 2021
This was unlike any other novel I've read. It was quietly powerful and was a welcome respite into a world of vivid landscapes and complex history.
Each chapter begins with a vintage photograph relating to the fictional events. This alone gives the book a homey, unusual feel. Centered around Lola, whose mother, Odilia, comes from Madrid and moves to America with the man she falls in love with and eventually marries, the story traces the women's intricate history. As she raises Lola alone after her husband leaves them, Odilia becomes an accomplished professor, providing the basics for her daughter and making sure she instills in her the fabric of her home country's culture. Traveling back to Madrid several times a year, Odilia and Lola remain close with their sparse family there. When Lola becomes an academic of her own, she researches her absent father's history, along with that of her maternal relatives, and is fascinated by the intricate web of connection and struggles that led to her current life. As she builds a life for herself in New England, she is constantly drawn back to Madrid and spends much of her time wondering where her true home is.
What I loved most about this novel is the strong sense of place the author creates. The prose reads like a nonfiction piece, lacking drama or embellishments and describing the settings with minimal but bold images. I felt like I was walking the streets of Madrid or the autumn hills of New England. She also perfectly captures the stark differences between the cultures of America and Spain, highlighting how Lola is able to adapt to each one at a moment's notice. And she somehow does a great job depicting the mother/daughter relationship, without weighing down the text with excessive dialogue.
I felt transported to another era while reading this and am now eager to visit Madrid!
Each chapter begins with a vintage photograph relating to the fictional events. This alone gives the book a homey, unusual feel. Centered around Lola, whose mother, Odilia, comes from Madrid and moves to America with the man she falls in love with and eventually marries, the story traces the women's intricate history. As she raises Lola alone after her husband leaves them, Odilia becomes an accomplished professor, providing the basics for her daughter and making sure she instills in her the fabric of her home country's culture. Traveling back to Madrid several times a year, Odilia and Lola remain close with their sparse family there. When Lola becomes an academic of her own, she researches her absent father's history, along with that of her maternal relatives, and is fascinated by the intricate web of connection and struggles that led to her current life. As she builds a life for herself in New England, she is constantly drawn back to Madrid and spends much of her time wondering where her true home is.
What I loved most about this novel is the strong sense of place the author creates. The prose reads like a nonfiction piece, lacking drama or embellishments and describing the settings with minimal but bold images. I felt like I was walking the streets of Madrid or the autumn hills of New England. She also perfectly captures the stark differences between the cultures of America and Spain, highlighting how Lola is able to adapt to each one at a moment's notice. And she somehow does a great job depicting the mother/daughter relationship, without weighing down the text with excessive dialogue.
I felt transported to another era while reading this and am now eager to visit Madrid!
December 30, 2024
I am surprised at the mixed reviews for this book. Yes, it's a short read and I finished it in one sitting. As an immigrant who moved from Europe to the US and has been investigating and exploiting my identity, woven by both countries, this book has extremely accurately explained my feelings. The dichotomy within me, the constant pull on my heart strings for both cultures and paces of life. Love books that makes us feel and live lives that we would otherwise never get to experience. This is one of those books!!
January 14, 2022
A new author from me; I've already reserved another of her books from the library. Young woman raised between Spain and US (New England) by single mother, knowing little about her absent father. The book moves between life in small college town US and Madrid. Gradually the Spanish Civil War and its bitter after-life become part of the story - they have always been more part of the story than she knew.
August 20, 2022
I heard such amazing reviews but this book never gripped my attention. It's less than 200 pages, which would normally take me 2 or 3 days to read. Took me almost 3 weeks because I was just dreading it after a while! Rambling aimlessly. Long overly detailed history. I really enjoy historical fiction too. This history was not woven well at all with the narrative.
Read
September 5, 2020Did not finish.
June 16, 2025
Very fun Spain book for a summer read
February 3, 2021
A succinct, beautifully-layered book about duality, identity, family, and the heartbreaking history of the Spanish Civil War. I loved this book from beginning to end. Each chapter is prefaced with a vintage photograph of Madrid, adding to the book's layered history. The prose is tight, poignant, and minimalistic, and the result is a book I'll return to over the years if only to immerse myself in this world, full of love, resilience, and hope.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews