The Spanish Bow

I am of two minds about this book. On the one hand, I loved it - the setting, the scope, the characters. Romano-Lax writes in sweeping bands of poetry. Her imagery takes you where she wants you to go. The story travels from rural Spain in the 1890s through the First World War, the Spanish Civil War, the rise of fascism in Europe - Franco, Mussolini, Hitler. If that sounds like a lot of ground to cover, it is. And with the passions of the protagonists whipping us to and fro, it is almost too much. It is a marvelous book and I recommend it to anyone interested in Spain. Maybe it could have benefited by being two books instead of one. But who am I to judge. This author has a lot more to offer if this book is anything to go by.

This is a very long story, a lifetime, but well worth the time spent reading. The characters are well developed and there is a strong current of realism. There are also many passages of great wisdom, "ancient" wisdom, to be found in the writing; to be savored, to be underscored, to be remembered.

I initially picked this book up from the library and enjoyed it so thoroughly that I bought one for me as well as one for our son. He loves classical music but usually not novels about classical musicians. He's been as entranced by the book as I was.I spent my sophomore year of college in Valencia Spain in 1973-1974, when Francisco Franco was still at least nominally in power. Ms. Romano-Lax captures the feel of Spain in a more limited scope than Michener did in Iberia, but just as true to the culture. I loved her use of the Spanish language for a few concepts that can't be captured in English. Other reviews here summarize the story line well. I hope Ms. Romano-Lax continues her fictional pursuits. She's found her calling.

I'm about halfway through The Spanish Bow and I am enjoying it so much that I felt compelled to share my opinion before even finishing this novel. It's the perfect pace, moving quickly enough that you never get bored but slowly enough that the characters are well-developed.I've enjoyed quite a few historical fiction novels, but I've also seen bad ones. Many times the historical part weighs down the story, but in this case I never felt that to be true. I don't have a lot of knowledge of Spanish history or politics, but after reading this novel I would like to learn more. When a work of historical fiction pushes a reader to search out non-fiction accounts, I think that is a mark of success. The story is told through the life of Feliu, a boy who is destined to become a cellist after receiving a bow from his father, who has died in Cuba. The story follows him as he grows from an innocent boy into a not-so innocent adult and an accomplished musician. It's the perfect blend between intrigue and music, and thoroughly entertaining.I read this novel on a recommendation from Booksontheknob - it was listed as a bargain. Sometimes the free/cheap books are worth what you pay for, sometimes not. The Spanish Bow was definitely worth the $.93 that Amazon is charging for it, and I would read other novels by the author even at non-bargain prices.

This is not a book to read quickly. I savored it-the language , the characters, and the history. It is a simple story , but the characters are complex. The inclusion of characters like Picasso gives the novel the feel of reality. The ending is a nice touch, tying it together. Although it is a cheap book, it is not a cheap read.

I love historical fiction and am glad I read the book because the language and style of writing was excellent. However, it took a book club discussion with others to really appreciate the story. The main character Feliu was frustrating, and the author needed to give him a spine. The cameo appearances by Hitler and Franco seemed like filler and was unnecessary to the plot. There were so many chances to make Aviva a more interesting character. Nevertheless, after reading the entire book, reviewing it with a group, and going back to look at passages, I realized that the author did make some excellent points and this statement sums up the relationship between Feliu, Aviva, and Al-Cerraz. “ …Friendship…is in the same category as love….(they) "are flawed and messy, and of questionable duration, and yet somehow irresistible." Perhaps that is the feelings I have about the book itself.

I loved this book from beginning to end. Its depiction of Spain during what was arguably the most dramatic decade in Spanish history is thoroughly evocative and absorbing, and the theme of friendship throughout makes it a wonderful gift. I think I've bought it for at least 10 friends as birthday presents.

What an interesting and well written book!

The premise of this tale is out of this world extraordinary - a musician in the Spain of the first forty years of the century and his survival. It has everything of whimsy and delight in terms of the subject and the characters and for that imagination alone - it is worth a read. It is something enjoyable.But, oh dear - WHERE WAS THE EDITOR AGAIN - because what would have made this a five star book ( and nope, concept alone is not enough) is editing. It is just too long and we end up tuning page aftre page to hurry the story along. At some points it is plain dull. Did we really have to start at Feliu's birth? If we started with his work for the Queen we might have been captured from the start - but we plough over page after page. And I gave up a good 50 pages towards the end.The period and the idea are outstanding and this should have been a 5 star book but the pace and plot just drags it down to a three.Sadly, wanted to love this.

Great read. Hooked from the first page.

It is a lovely book to read transporting you back in time. I Recommend it.