Sun and Shade

By Maria Glass

Set in Spain, this novel unfolds against the background of the utopian upheaval of the 1920s, the rise of Fascism, the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, and repression of Franco's early dictatorship.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1588513238
• ISBN13: 9781588513236
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Publish America
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

An incredible,wonderful tale about humanity

I am still under the spell! I finished the book, then had to read it again. Like in real life, everything is interconnected. Small words and actions that seem harmless at the beginning of the novel bear just as many consequences as the devastating civil war at the center of the story. I have read volumes about the Spanish Civil War, but this is the first that put me at the core of what it might have been for the "every man". I fell in love with the characters, good and bad. Pedro, the embodiement of a modern Byronic hero, is especially endearing. He starts as a bigger than life "all male" to slowly reveal his humanity in trying to make amends for the pain he has caused in his life. In fact, there are no real heroes in Sun and Shade. The "heroes" have flaws and the "vilains" virtues, which makes the characters even more real and endearing. The story is seen through the eyes of a family that makes the doomed choice of siding with the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. When the Nationalists win, dreams turn into nightmares, hope into despair. In the end, through the author's poignant prose, we are unequivocably reminded that, no matter how shattered our world becomes, we are all responsible for the choices we make. Paco blames the war and the Fascists for his demise, when all along he is the creator of his own fate. He will slowly fade away in the book as he fades away in the eyes of his son. As in real life, the true victims of the conflict are the children. After the Spanish Civil War ended, the world entered WWII. There was no where to run for those Republicans still trapped in Spain. I had always wondered what their lives might have been. Now I know. When reading Sun and Shade, I could not help thinking about all the innocent victims of the endless conflits around the globe that we choose to ignore, just like the world chose to ignore those in 1936 Spain. I thought about my own children and shivered, and that's the mark of a great book. When Paco's son reaches the age of reason, he struggles between his parents' truth and his teachers'. When a Phalangist, Ana, saves him from hunger, he questions his mother's judgment. His coming of age is painful, brutal, but it leaves us with the feeling that life, no matter how hard and violent it may become, is still a precious gift worth fighing for. The author has chosen to leave the end open to our own imagination. The child has now become a man facing his own future, free to make his own choices. This novel is not for those who would want a day by day account of the Civil War. The author does not seem interested in politics, only in the devastating results of politics on the every man. Sun and Shade only deals with those events that affect the characters directly. It is more a cautionary tale about human behavior gone awry. I would love to see a prequel with Pedro as a young man. The glimpses of his story left me wanting to know more.

A Real Page Turner

I didn't want this novel to end--the characters really stand out; it's as if the author knows them personally as she does Spain and this period in history. It's hard not to want to know what happens on the next page because you fall in love with the characters. The situations they have to deal with are so foreign, yet they could be happening to us tomorrow.

Intriguing and Exciting Story

From the moment I started Sun and Shade I had trouble putting it down. The carefully woven story of a Spanish family is very involving. I was caught up in the meticulous connections of the content as the book developed. By the time I was finished it all fit together perfectly. She has very realistic characters and the historical setting is unforgettable. What an incredible voice, I could hear the author sing thoughout the reading. I would highly recommend this book. Bravo, more more please.

OUTSTANDING

From the moment I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Found this author to have wonderful knowledge of this time period. Would love to see this in movie form. Keep up the exceptional work, Mrs. Glass.

A Wonderful First Novel

I rarely read books that have not already made a "Bestsellers" list, so I was somewhat hesitant about reading the first novel by Mrs. Glass. However, this book proved to be much better, I feel, than many of the books that have reached bestseller status. With every page turn, I was drawn more and more into this story of love, war, and the space between where too many people get trapped forever. This book brings to life the Spanish Civil War, a time in history that we, as Americans, have chosen to forget instead of teach to our children. Not only does this book reveal the pain that Spain faced as a country, but it also focuses on the pain and torment felt by a man who's purpose in life was disrupted by the war and the effect of this upset on every person who cared for him. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in books about war, history, or love. Mrs. Glass has created a beautifully written work of art and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. Excelente.