Maria Duenas

When her longtime marriage abruptly ends in the wake of her husband's infidelity, Madrid college professor Blanca Perea struggles to rebuild her own life by researching that of an enigmatic Spanish writer who died decades earlier. By the best-selling author of The Time in Between. 75,000 first printing.

A Novel

The Heart Has Its Reasons

Poor seamstress Sira Quiroga forges a new identity during the Spanish Civil War and becomes the most sought-after couture designer in North Africa, where she is enlisted to pass coded information to the British Secret Service.

The Time In Between

La joven modista Sira Quiroga abandona Madrid en los meses previos al alzamiento, arrastrada por el amor desbocado hacia un hombre a quien apenas conoce. Juntos se instalan en Tánger, una ciudad mundana, exótica y vibrante donde todo lo impensable puede hacerse realidad. Incluso, la traición y el abandono. Sola y acuciada por deudas ajenas, Sira se traslada a Tetuán, la capital del Protectorado español en Marruecos. Con argucias inconfesables y ayudada por amistades de reputación dudosa, forja una nueva identidad y logra poner en marcha un selecto atelier en el que atiende a clientas de orígenes remotos y presentes insospechados. A partir de entonces, con la contienda española recién terminada y la europea a punto de comenzar, el destino de la protagonista queda ligado a un puñado de personajes históricos entre los que destacan Juan Luis Beigbeder- el enigmático y escasamente conocido ministro de Asuntos Exteriores del primer franquismo, su amante, la excéntrica Rosalinda Fox, y el agregado naval Alan Hillgarth, jefe de la inteligencia británica en España durante la segunda guerra mundial. Entre todos ellos la empujarán hacia un arriesgado compromiso en el que las telas, las puntadas y los patrones de su oficio se convertirán en la fachada visible de algo mucho más turbio y peligroso.

El tiempo entre costuras

New York Times bestselling author Maria Dueñas returns with The Vineyard, a magnificent story of ambition, heartbreak, and desire set in the 1860s Mexico, Cuba, and Spain—perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Kristin Hannah. Mauro Larrea’s fortune, the result of years of hardship and toil, comes crashing down on the heels of a calamitous event. Swamped by debt and uncertainty, he gambles the last of his money in a daring play that wins him an abandoned house and a vineyard an ocean away. Mauro travels to Andalusia de Jerez in Spain with every intention of selling the property and returning to Mexico. That is, until he meets the unsettling Soledad Montalvo, the wife of a London wine merchant, who bursts into his life unannounced, determined to protect her family’s legacy. Before long, Larrea finds himself immersed in the rich culture of the sherry trade. As his feelings for Soledad ripen into a consuming passion, he seeks to restore the vineyard to its former glory. From the turbulent young Mexican republic to flourishing Havana, and onward to the fertile vineyards of Jerez in the second half of the nineteenth century, María Dueñas’s new novel takes place on both sides of the Atlantic, the New World and the Old. This story of family intrigue vividly conjures the noise and grit of silver mines, and the earthier lure of ancient vineyards and magnificent cities whose splendor has faded. Here is a story of courage in the face of adversity and of a destiny forever altered by the force of passion.

The Vineyard

Daniel Hahn

Seamstress

A sweeping historical epic by an author whose novels have sold over 6 million copies worldwide. A ruined merchant sets sail to seek his fortune in the 19th-century Spanish Empire. Haunted by his lost wealth, he gambles the last of his money on what will become the greatest adventure of his life - and eventually, his salvation. When Mauro Larrea meets Soledad Montalvo, wife to a London wine merchant, she drags him into a most unexpected future, from the new Mexican republic to magnificent colonial Havana; and from the West Indies to the Andalusia of the 1860s, when the wine trade with England made the small city of Jerez legendary. A Vineyard in Andalusiatells of glories and defeats, of silver mines, family intrigues, vineyards, cellars, and splendid cities of faded grandeur. This is a story of courage before adversity, and of a destiny altered for good by the force of passion.

Vineyard in Andalusia (la Templanza) A

The inspiring international bestseller of a seemingly ordinary woman who uses her talent and courage to transform herself first into a prestigious couturier and then into an undercover agent for the Allies during World War II. Between Youth and Adulthood… At age twelve, Sira Quiroga sweeps the atelier floors where her single mother works as a seamstress. At fourteen, she quietly begins her own apprenticeship. By her early twenties she has learned the ropes of the business and is engaged to a modest government clerk. But everything changes when two charismatic men burst unexpectedly into her neatly mapped-out life: an attractive salesman and the father she never knew. Between War and Peace… With the Spanish Civil War brewing in Madrid, Sira leaves her mother and her fiancé, impetuously following her handsome lover to Morocco. However, she soon finds herself abandoned, penniless, and heartbroken in an exotic land. Among the odd collection of European expatriates trapped there by the worsening political situation back on the Continent, Sira reinvents herself by turning to the one skill that can save her: her gift for creating beautiful clothes. Between Love and Duty… As England, Germany, and the other great powers launch into the dire conflict of World War II, Sira is persuaded to return to Madrid, where she takes on a new identity to embark upon the most dangerous undertaking of her career. As the preeminent couturier for an eager clientele of Nazi officers’ wives, Sira becomes embroiled in the half-lit world of espionage and political conspiracy rife with love, intrigue, and betrayal. An outstanding success around the world, The Time in Between has sold more than two million copies and inspired the Spanish television series based on the book, dubbed by the media as the “Spanish Downton Abbey.” In the US it was a critical and commercial hit, and a New York Times bestseller in paperback. It is one of those rare, richly textured novels that enthrall down to the last page. María Dueñas reminds us how it feels to be swept away by a masterful storyteller.

Sandra Dolinsky

"Nova York, 1936. A pequena taberna El Capitán é inaugurada na rua Catorze, um dos redutos da colônia espanhola que então reside na cidade. A morte acidental de seu proprietário, o inconsequente Emilio Arenas, força suas indomáveis filhas a tomarem conta do negócio, enquanto nos tribunais é negociado o pagamento de uma promissora indenização. Abatidas e atormentadas pela necessidade urgente de sobrevivência, as temperamentais Victoria, Mona e Luz Arenas irão trilhar seus caminhos entre arranha-céus, compatriotas espanhóis, adversidades e amores, determinadas a transformar um sonho em realidade. De leitura ágil, envolvente e tocante, “As filhas do capitão” acompanha a história dessas três jovens forçadas a atravessar um oceano, se estabelecer em uma deslumbrante cidade e lutar para encontrar seu caminho. Uma homenagem às mulheres que resistem quando os ventos sopram em sentido contrário e a todos os que viveram - e vivem - a aventura, muitas vezes épica e quase sempre incerta, da emigração."

TRÊS MULHERES, DOIS MUNDOS, UMA CIDADE

As Filhas Do Capitão

Blanca Perea è una donna all¿apparenza invulnerabile, stimata docente universitaria e pilastro di una famiglia felice. Improvvisamente, vede crollare tutte le sue certezze quando scopre che il marito sta per avere un figlio da un'altra donna. Fuggire da Madrid sembra essere l'unico modo per salvarsi e, senza pensarci, accetta una borsa di studio di tre mesi in California, all'Università di Santa Cecilia. Deve catalogare e archiviare tutte le carte di Andrés Fontana, importante letterato spagnolo trasferitosi negli Stati Uniti e morto già da trent'anni, un lavoro apparentemente noioso ma che si rivela invece decisamente intrigante. Ad aiutarla c'è l'ex allievo prediletto di Fontana, Daniel Carter, che si precipita a Santa Cecilia appena viene a sapere che qualcuno sta finalmente mettendo mano al lascito del suo maestro. Insieme esplorano una parte di documenti fino ad allora sconosciuta, gli studi che il professore aveva dedicato al Camino Real, la catena di missioni che i frati francescani fondarono in tutta la California. Ma l'interesse di Daniel per l'impresa e le ricerche sul nuovo materiale non fanno che scatenare in Blanca una serie di interrogativi via via più urgenti. Perché nessuno - soprattutto Daniel - ha finora recuperato l'eredità di Fontana? E perché farlo proprio ora? Per ottenere le risposte che sta cercando, Blanca dovrà scavare nel passato, indagare il legame che univa Daniel e Fontana, affrontare retroscena impensati e svelare interessi politici nascosti. Ma dovrà soprattutto tornare a credere in se stessa e riscoprire la voglia di aprirsi all'amore, per trovare finalmente la chiave per cambiare il suo futuro. Dopo il grande successo di La notte ha cambiato rumore, María Dueñas torna a parlare ai suoi lettori attraverso la voce di una donna capace di affrontare le sconfitte con il coraggio di mettersi in discussione. Un amore più forte di me è una storia luminosa che si sviluppa tra la Spagna e la California, tra gli anni Cinquanta e oggi, dove si intrecciano le vicende di personaggi carichi di passione e umanità, convinti che l'avventura più emozionante della propria vita è sempre quella che si sta per vivere.

Un amore più forte di me

Declared “a writer to watch” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), New York Times bestselling author María Dueñas pours heart and soul into this story of a woman who discovers the power of second chances. A talented college professor in Madrid, Blanca Perea seems to have it all. But her world is suddenly shattered when her husband of twenty years leaves her for another woman. Questioning the life she once had and whether she truly knows herself, Blanca resolves to change her surroundings. She accepts what looks like a boring research grant in California involving an exiled Spanish writer who died decades ago. Anxious to leave her own troubled life behind, she is gradually drawn into his haunted world, with its poignant loves and unfulfilled ambitions. But in delving into the past, Blanca finds herself simultaneously awakened to the present by Daniel Carter, a charismatic professor with crucial knowledge about the dead writer that he has never before revealed. Amid this web of passion, conflict, and hidden feelings, including her own, Blanca advances like an avid detective, refusing to quit, and ultimately discovers startling answers that resonate deeply in her own life. Evocative, lyrical, and humorous, The Heart Has Its Reasons is a journey of the soul from the pangs of the past to the vibrant present. It is a story about the thrill of creating one’s life anew.

Previously published as Mision olvido. Madrid: Editorial Planeta, 2012.

Una novela

Misión olvido (The Heart Has Its Reasons Spanish Edition)

Sira Quiroga werkt in een van de beste naaiateliers van het Madrid in de jaren dertig van de vorige eeuw. Ze is verloofd met een nette jongen en haar toekomst lijkt uitgestippeld. Dan gooien twee mannen haar leven overhoop: een aantrekkelijke bon-vivant en haar vader, die ze nooit heeft gekend. Sira laat alles achter en vlucht met haar minnaar voor de naderende burgeroorlog naar Marokko, waar ze zorgeloos geniet van een leven vol feesten, vrijheid en luxe. Totdat ze in de steek wordt gelaten en berooid achterblijft. Dankzij haar talent als naaister weet ze echter te overleven. Ze krijgt belangrijke klanten en via hen maakt ze kennis met een agent van de Engelse geheime dienst, die haar overhaalt te gaan spioneren voor de Britse overheid. Wanneer de Tweede Wereldoorlog uitbreekt, keert Sira terug Madrid. Onder een nieuwe identiteit opent ze er een naaiatelier en zoekt haar cliëntèle zo veel mogelijk onder vrouwen van hoge nazi-officieren, zodat ze ongemerkt vertrouwelijke informatie kan ontfutselen. Maar als ze verwikkeld raakt in een netwerk van internationale spionage, kan ze niemand meer vertrouwen. Het wordt steeds moeilijker haar ware identiteit verborgen te houden voor de mensen om wie ze geeft. Ze moet kiezen wie ze wil zijn: de afstandelijke, berekenende vrouw van de wereld die ze als spionne is geworden, of de eenvoudige vrouw die ze ooit was en die nu in stilte hartstochtelijk houdt van een man - ook al is ze bang om hem in haar leven toe te laten. Het geluid van de nacht is het onvergetelijke verhaal over een vrouw die met vallen en opstaan leert dat ze alleen kan vertrouwen op haar eigen kracht. Het voert je door de even kleurrijke als aangrijpende geschiedenis van Spanje, Marokko en Portugal en de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Het geluid van de nacht is een verslavende pageturner met een onweerstaanbare sfeertekening en een superieure cast van personages. María Dueñas' debuutroman over een eenvoudig meisje dat uitgroeit tot een couturière van aanzien en tot een geheim agent, is door een miljoenenpubliek en door de pers zeer lovend ontvangen. 'Het geluid van de nacht grijpt je bij de ziel en laat je niet meer los tot en met de laatste zin. De stijl is harmonieus, nauwgezet, gevarieerd, lichtvoetig en smaakvol - en dat alles grenzend aan de perfectie. Verslavend, meeslepend, overweldigend.' - El Mundo

Het geluid van de nacht

María Dueñas, autora del best seller internacional El tiempo entre costuras (The Time In Between), vuelve con una nueva historia apasionante ambientada en las calles del Nueva York de los años treinta. En la calle 14, el corazón del barrio español, la pequeña casa de comidas El Capitán, abre sus puertas. Sin embargo, al poco tiempo, la inesperada muerte de su dueño, Emilio Arenas, obliga a sus tres hijas, recién llegadas de Málaga, a tomar las riendas del negocio. Solas ante un destino incierto en un país absolutamente desconocido, Victoria, Mona y Luz se abrirán paso entre rascacielos, compatriotas, adversidades y amores, decididas a convertir un sueño en realidad. Una vez más, María Dueñas logra cautivar a sus lectores con una historia tan ágil como envolvente. Además de una apasionante combinación de detalle histórico e imaginación, Las hijas del Capitán es un tributo a las mujeres que resisten cuando los vientos soplan en contra y un homenaje a todos aquellos valientes que vivieron –y viven— la aventura, a menudo épica y casi siempre incierta, de la inmigración.

The Captain's Daughters \ Las hijas del Capitan (Spanish edition)

Una nueva y magnífica novela ambientada en los años 1860 en el Ciudad de México, La Habana y España sobre un hombre hecho a sí mismo que pierde su fortuna de la noche a la mañana pero encuentra su destino mientras trabaja para restaurar un antiguo viñedo a su antiguo esplendor y ganarse el amor de los combativos viuda que alguna vez fue dueña de la propiedad.

Una Novela

La Templanza (Spanish Edition)

María Dueñas's million copy best-selling tale of adventure, tragedy, love and war, The Seamstress, a Richard and Judy 2012 book club pick. Spain, 1936 and the brink of civil war. Aged twelve, Sira Quiroga was apprenticed to a Madrid dressmaker. As she masters the seamstress's art, her life seems to be clearly mapped out - until she falls passionately in love and flees with her seductive lover. But in Morocco she is betrayed and left penniless. As civil war engulfs Spain, Sira finds she cannot return and so turns to her one true skill - and sews beautiful clothes for the expat elite and their German friends. With Europe rumbling towards war, Sira is lured back to Franco's Nazis-friendly Spain. She is drawn into the shadowy world of espionage, rife with love, intrigue and betrayal. And where the greatest danger lies. . . 'María Dueñas is a true storyteller. Read this book and prepare to be transported' Kate Morton, author of The House at Riverton 'A wonderful novel with intrigue, love, mystery and tender, audacious and clean-cut characters' Mario Vargas Llosa 'A magnificent novel that flawlessly brings together history and intrigue' Juan Gómez-Jurado, author of The Moses Expedition María Dueñas holds a PhD in English Philology and is currently a professor at the University of Murcia. She has also taught at American universities, is the author of several academic articles, and has participated in various educational, cultural and editorial projects. She is currently writing her second novel.

Maria Duenas

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