Description
The Silence of the Looms
Book Summary
A literary tribute to the memory of the women and girls who lived and worked in the textile colonies of Catalonia. Through their testimonies, the work recovers a way of life marked by job insecurity, the Civil War, and postwar repression, giving voice to the workers, the owners' wives, the maids, and the sacristans. A choral narrative that weaves together female perspectives to preserve a past that must not be forgotten.
What is it about?
The book collects the experiences of the women who inhabited the Catalan textile colonies, from the origins of industrialization to the present day. The narrative delves into the harshness of life in the factories, the precarious working conditions, and the impact of the Civil War and the Francoist repression. But it is not limited to the workers: it also incorporates the perspectives of the owners' wives, the maids, and the sacristans, offering a mosaic of female voices of diverse origins and opinions. These women pass their testimony on to new generations, ensuring that their history is not lost in silence.
Main themes
- Historical memory of the Catalan textile colonies.
- The life of working women in the textile industry.
- Postwar repression and the Spanish Civil War.
- The transmission of testimony between generations.
- The diversity of female roles in the same factory environment.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers interested in the social and labor history of Catalonia, especially in the role of women during the 20th century. Also for those who seek accounts of historical memory, testimonies of the Civil War and the postwar period, and works that give voice to the silenced protagonists of industrialization.
What this book contributes
- A multifaceted and choral vision of life in the textile colonies from a female perspective.
- The recovery of real testimonies that prevent a fundamental part of Catalan history from falling into oblivion.
- A reflection on job insecurity and women's resistance in a context of repression.
- The connection between the industrial past and current generations through the transmission of memory.
Technical data
- Author: Assumpta Montellà i Carlos
- Publisher: Ara Llibres, SCCL
- Language: Catalan
- Subject: True stories, Spanish Civil War
- Collection: Catalan
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: August 2024
- Number of pages: 240
- Weight: 634 g
Editorial review
A necessary work that focuses on the women who built, from anonymity, an essential part of industrial Catalonia. Its choral structure and its commitment to historical memory make it a recommended read for anyone who wants to understand the roots of today's society and the role of women in the struggle for labor dignity.