All About Spain - Ole!

So happy to be back home in Dubai 🩷

I really enjoyed our time in the UK this summer, though sad to see the riots happening across the North. Add to that Lebanon jittery and the latest strike on a Palestinian school where hundreds were sheltering for safety and… it’s just been a heavy, unfair week. I hope that wherever you come from and whatever your skin color, that you feel safe walking the streets wherever you live.

We are back home, unpacking suitcases full of laundry and generally being a bit lazy. I am 95% better, but still have a lingering “flirty cough.” We actually caught COVID in Spain. When we initially planned our UK holiday months ago, I kept reading articles claiming it’s going to be the wettest summer in 100 years in London (which turned out to be dead wrong btw). So we booked a side trip to Granada for 5 days seeking sun.

Despite feeling under the weather, we were completely charmed by the stunning Alhambra Palace and Granada’s city center. Between the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930’s and the Muslim influences in the 1500’s, it’s a country with a rich culture of change and acceptance that we can all learn from.

So this newsletter is dedicated to Spanish authors or stories that take place in Spain. Ole!

READ: Books With Spanish Flair

Last week, I shared Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree by Tariq Ali that features an intergenerational saga set against the backdrop of religious strife in Granada, Spain hundreds of years ago. Here are five contemporary reads to add a bit of Spanish flair to your summer:

Beautiful and Dark by Rosa Montero

I love books that bring a touch of magical realism to very realistic storylines. Written by an award-winning journalist, this book is about an orphan girl who befriends a woman who tells myths and fairytale horror stories that expand her world.

The Frozen Heart by Almudena Grandes

During his wealthy father’s funeral, Alvaro notices an attractive stranger. When the family receives an unexpected, large inheritance, Alvaro begins to piece together a devastating love story during the Spanish Civil War based on letters from the early 1940’s.

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain

I love stories about the wives of Ernest Hemingway, and I really loved Paula McLain’s portrayal of his first marriage in The Paris Wife. In Love and Ruin, we meet the third wife, journalist Martha Gellhorn, who falls for the moody, alcoholic writer’s passionate charm and ends up following him to Madrid, where they both cover the dangerous civil war.

The Time in Between by Maria Duenas

Sira’s life turns upside down when a gorgeous man walks into the atelier where she works as a seamstress - she ends up leaving her fiance and family to follow him to Morocco. Later, penniless and full of remorse, she’s forced to rebuild her life. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, this novel is a big, sweeping love story about self-actualization.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Reeling from the death of his mother, the main character in this dark, erotic thriller discovers that every book written by a specific, enigmatic author is getting destroyed - and he becomes obsessed with finding out why. Atmospheric and full of mystery, this genre-bending novel is a must-read.

Write: A Scene

We went to a flamenco show in Granada’s city center. The performance told a beautiful story with simplicity: four people sitting on a black stage on mismatched chairs, each of them sharing their own version of heartbreak. Universal theme, unique angle. Ultimate inspo.

bysarahamdan

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Inspire: Meditation to Stay Grounded

Broken routines are hard for me over the summer, so I was happy to get back to exercise, gym and healthy eating (I mean, those churros…). The constant sad news is heavy, too. I find meditation helps. VOX Cinemas hosted another fabulous guided meditation and sound healing session with Linda Cochrane at THEATER Mall of the Emirates on Aug 11.

Keep an eye out on https://uae.voxcinemas.com/ for the next session and until then, balance out the chaos in this world with this beautiful meditation:

Browse: These Links

Random stuff from the internet to make you go - hmm, that’s interesting:

• Ten more books for your summer reading list, including Palestinian author Yasmin Zaher’s The Coin

• Did you know artists, writers and architects once took part in the Olympics?!

• “Babe, you’re an Olympic champion!” - pics of this supportive husband went viral with good reason

• Why does humidity make me so miserable? (And my hair, too)

• Blake Lively’s floral fashion choices (& here) to promote her new movie

• Who should play Britney Spears in a new biopic?

Countdown to My Novel’s Publication Day:

Thanks for reading! See you next week!

With kindness,

Sara