Publisher's Synopsis
In Madrid, 1936, on the first day of the Spanish Civil War, and Rosario gives birth against a backdrop of gunfire and chaos. Fear of reprisals from the Fascists force her family to flee to France, leaving behind the newborn Paloma. But in war-torn Europe, their stay in France is short-lived as Hitler invades. Fleeing from conflict once more, Rosario, husband Elias and their eldest daughter Carlota are reunited with Paloma and her grandmother Pepa who cared for her from birth and soon they find themselves in Casablanca. There, life is full of pleasure and surprise, their new home, "The Orchard", becomes a haven of delight, fun and rites of passage. But after the tumultuous events of the last five years, the wilful Rosario surrenders herself to an orgy of the senses, and neglects her children. Abandoned at birth, Paloma craves her mother's love, and Carlota - a strange child her mother has always abhorred - has a sense of creeping darkness. Over the years, "The Orchard" becomes a furnace of emotions and relationships gone awry. Elias' death signals the end of an era, and combined with growing unrest in Morocco against the French Protectorate, the family realises it is time to move on once more. This epic story of a family in conflict, set against the backdrop of Europe at war, is deeply rooted in the human experience. It has an often humorous, sometimes dark but essentially optimistic outlook on how family relationships shape our souls.
