Skip to main content
Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023
Portuguese revolutionary and politician Álvaro Cunhal, writing under the pen name Manuel Tiago, created Eulalia’s House, a stunning novel depicting the early moments of the Spanish Civil War just prior to World War Two. For those who are not familiar with that period of history, the civil war in Spain took place when military generals led by Francisco Franco attacked their own country and destroyed the democratically elected government. The people of Spain resisted the coup, but Franco used propaganda and force to raise an army of military and civilian rebels. Franco also enlisted the military assistance of Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Antonio Salazar of Portugal to accomplish his illegal takeover.
Tiago’s characters, most of them Portuguese activists who joined the international effort to protect the Spanish government, give the reader a close-up view of both the political and military action of the times. Through their eyes we get to see the moment-to-moment decisions, the brave actions, and even the political in-fighting that marked the historical period. Eulalia and the other women in Tiago’s novel are portrayed as brave and intelligent equals to their male counterparts. The book has additional significance in today’s world when our democracy is under threat from internal demagogues who are willing to incite violence to topple it.
Translator Eric A. Gordon, who carried the work skillfully from Portuguese to English, provided a preface that is not the usual academic overlay, but rather a clear roadmap to help readers enter the novel.
Tiago’s characters, most of them Portuguese activists who joined the international effort to protect the Spanish government, give the reader a close-up view of both the political and military action of the times. Through their eyes we get to see the moment-to-moment decisions, the brave actions, and even the political in-fighting that marked the historical period. Eulalia and the other women in Tiago’s novel are portrayed as brave and intelligent equals to their male counterparts. The book has additional significance in today’s world when our democracy is under threat from internal demagogues who are willing to incite violence to topple it.
Translator Eric A. Gordon, who carried the work skillfully from Portuguese to English, provided a preface that is not the usual academic overlay, but rather a clear roadmap to help readers enter the novel.
