Winter in Madrid
By C. J. Sansom
(Penguin (Non-Classics), Paperback, 9780143115137, 544pp.)
Publication Date: January 27, 2009
Other Editions of This Title: Google eBook, Hardcover
Categories: Historical - General
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A popular mystery writer breaks out with this page-turning international bestseller set in post-Civil War Spain
September 1940: the Spanish Civil War is over, Madrid lies in ruin, while the Germans continue their march through Europe, and General Franco evades Hitler's request that he lead his broken country into yet another war. Into this uncertain world comes a reluctant spy for the British Secret Service, sent to gain the confidence of Sandy Forsyth, an old school friend turned shady Madrid businessman. Meanwhile, an ex-Red Cross nurse is engaged in a secret mission of her own. Through this dangerous game of intrigue, C. J. Sansom's riveting tale conjures a remarkable sense of history unfolding and the profound impact of impossible choices.
1. Institutions loom large in the book, from public school (which is the equivalent of private school in the US), to the Communist party, to the Catholic Church. How do the main characters reinforce and/or defeat them?
"It comes as no surprise to learn that Sansom''s novel spent month after month on London''s bestseller lists."
-The Philadelphia Inquirer
"There are touches of Graham Greene; Hemingway''s here, too. . . . But Sansom transfigures his sources into a moral universe very much his own."
-The Independent (U.K.)
"Sansom [proves] real noir is best when lit with flashes of wit."
-Publishers Weekly
"Sansom can lay claim to a place among the best distinguished of modern historical novelists."
-P. D. James
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