Fiction
The Red Gene
by Barbara Lamplugh
Description
When Rose, a young English nurse with humanitarian ideals, decides to volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, she is little prepared for the experiences that await her.
Working on one front after another, witness to all the horrors of war, she falls in love with a Republican fighter, Miguel. In 1939 as defeat becomes inevitable, Rose is faced with a decision that will change her life and leave her with lasting scars.
Interspersed with Rose's story is that of Consuelo, a girl growing up in a staunchly Catholic family on the other side of the ideological divide. Never quite belonging, treated unkindly, she discovers at a young age that she was adopted but her attempts to learn more about her origins are largely thwarted.
It falls to the third generation, to Consuelo's daughter Marisol, born in the year of Franco's death and growing up in a rapidly changing Spain, to investigate the dark secrets of her family and find the answers that have until now eluded her mother.
More Information
Rights Information
World rights, all languages
Marketing Information
Ideal for a Spanish edition opportunity. The author is based in Spain, and can run events to support any publication.
Endorsements
'A wonderful book. It is so evocative of 1930's Britain and the generation for whom Spain was a huge issue … I really enjoyed reading it, with so many of the characters so brilliantly realised’ - Jeremy Corbyn, former Leader of the Labour Party
Reviews
This fine historical novel traces the intergenerational legacies of the Spanish civil war through two groups of families, English and Spanish. At the narrative core is an English nurse who volunteered in the civil war, was caught in the violence of the Republican defeat and eventually returned to Britain. The parallel narrative follows three generations of Spanish families whose lives, unknowingly but irrevocably, were intertwined with Rose's Spanish experiences. The author, an English writer and long- resident in Granada, effortlessly evokes the powerful ethos of the civil war and of life during the dictatorship and the post-Franco transition to democracy. Quite simply, this is an enthralling novel with real historical heft. --Judith Keene
An evocative story of Spain set against the background of civil war and its aftermath. It focuses on individuals in Spain and England who were caught up in it, unknowingly sharing a remarkable story of connections. The big themes of history are brought alive through the stories of a diverse cast of characters. --John Simmons
The Red Gene begins as an action story: the adventures of Rose, a young English nurse who goes to Spain to help the victims of the civil war, falls in love and unwittingly sets in motion a chain of consequences that will ring down the decades. Barbara Lamplugh is bold enough to look at lives on an epic scale. Her wide canvas takes in two countries, several families, five generations and nearly 80 years. Yet her story remains intimate in focus and poignantly observant of those vital close-up moments, whether in an English vicarage garden, a chaotic wartime hospital ward, or a festival in a Spanish village. This is a touching tale of motherhood under pressure: of love, loss and reparation for Rose and Consuelo, the two vastly different women at its heart. The suspense mounts as we wonder if they will ever meet. The Red Gene is a fascinating read that affirms the importance not only of the family you have, but also of the family you don't know you have. --Jane Sullivan
Author Biography
Barbara Lamplugh started out as a travel writer in the 1970s, inspired by a life-changing overland journey to Kathmandu in a converted fire-engine. Her love of adventure then took her backpacking around SE Asia via the Trans-Siberian Railway and Japan. Two travel books, Kathmandu by Truck and Trans-Siberia by Rail, were the result. Another new experience motherhood came next, putting an end to her extensive wanderings. However, she continued to write, turning now to fiction. In 1999, spurred by the challenge of living in a different culture, she headed for Granada, Spain, where along with the energising light of the sun, she found her dream job as a features writer for the magazine Living Spain, writing on topics as diverse as garlic, machismo, the life of a lighthouse keeper and the nightmarish experience of being trapped at an all-night drumming festival. Although her heart and home are in Granada, where her 2015 novel Secrets of the Pomegranate is set, she makes frequent visits to the UK to spend time with her children and grandchildren.
Copyright Information
Copyright Urbane Publications and Barbara Lamplugh 2020
Urbane Publications Limited
At Urbane Publications we love books. We love content. We know you do too. Join us and dive into some extraordinary words. Great books, talented authors, and innovative publishing all in one gorgeous package!Are you always searching for that next great book, the joy of discovering a new author, a new plot, thrilling new worlds and characters, or simply enjoying the printed and digital page?We are. So much so that we decided to start sharing our love of words with you. Urbane Publications is a new and exciting independent publisher dedicated to developing and producing the books you want to read – hip, contemporary, groundbreaking fiction and non-fiction designed to entertain, excite, and engage.Our team has been involved in the publishing industry for over 20 years, as booksellers, publishers and even authors. It seemed a natural step to bring all that experience to bear in an exciting new venture to introduce you to the best new creative ventures and valuable content out there.Words always have the power and potential to excite, involve, inspire – and we live them at Urbane Publications. This is a journey of discovery, finding new voices, defining new genres, and most importantly creating the words you want read.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher/Imprint Urbane Publications / Urbane Fiction
- Publication Date July 2019
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9781912666423 / 1912666421
- Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
- FormatPaperback
- Primary Price 8.99 GBP
- Pages360
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- Original Language TitleEnglish
- Original Language AuthorsEnglish
- Copyright Year2019
- Page size198x129 (198x129) mm
Thank you for proceeding with this offer.
Urbane Publications Limited has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Urbane Publications Limited has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Please wait while the payment is being prepared.
Do not close this window.
(c) Copyright 2024 - Frankfurt Rights. All Right Reserved