Description
Virtudes (y misterios)
Book Summary
A family history that crosses the Atlantic, marked by emigration, silences, and unanswered questions. Xesús Fraga reconstructs the lives of his grandparents—a shoemaker who left for Venezuela and a woman who emigrated to England—and explores how their decisions affected three generations. Spanning Galicia, London, Caracas, and other destinations, the author combines the novel, chronicle, and diary to offer an original and moving vision of emigration, its losses, and its legacies. A work awarded the 2019 Blanco Amor Prize that touches the heart without renouncing humor.
What is it about?
In 1955, a Galician cobbler crosses the Atlantic to Venezuela, seduced by the promise of a better life. His goal is to return soon as a wealthy "indiano," but the years pass, and not only does he fail to send the promised money, he disappears. Forced by circumstances, his wife begins her own emigration, but in the opposite direction: toward England. These decisions and omissions will mark their lives and those of their descendants.
Xesús Fraga, grandson of that immigrant couple, reconstructs their tumultuous lives and the experience of living with loneliness, displacement, and the unease of unanswered questions. The narrative travels from rural Galician life to the great American megalopolises, with stops in London, Caracas, Buenos Aires, the Dominican Republic, and Ethiopia. The work combines genres such as the novel, chronicle, and diary to offer a vital fresco that moves and touches the reader without renouncing humor, proposing a fresh look at emigration, both in the lives lived and those left unlived.
Main Themes
- Emigration as a transformative experience and its long-term family consequences.
- Displacement and the search for identity in a globalized world.
- The silences and omissions that shape family memory.
- The Galician diaspora and its impact on subsequent generations.
- Historical memory and the reconstruction of the past through writing.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in contemporary narrative that addresses family memory and emigration from an intimate and original perspective. It is ideal for those who appreciate stories that combine personal testimony with historical chronicle, and for those seeking a work that moves the reader and reflects on roots, identity, and the consequences of life-altering decisions.
What this book offers
- A deep and human vision of emigration, far from clichés and focused on personal experiences.
- A hybrid narrative structure that enriches the reading by combining the novel, chronicle, and diary.
- A geographical and emotional journey that connects rural Galicia with international settings.
- A reflection on how silences and absences shape family identity.
- The recognition of a prestigious literary award (2019 Blanco Amor Prize) that validates its quality.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Fraga, Xesús
- Publisher: Xordica
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Modern and contemporary fiction
- Collection: CARRACHINAS
- Publication date: October 2020
- Number of pages: 304
- Weight: 542 g
Editorial Review
Virtudes (y misterios) is a work that stands out for its ability to address a classic theme like emigration from a fresh and deeply personal perspective. Xesús Fraga manages to weave a narrative that moves and makes one think, supported by a hybrid structure that enriches the reading. The recognition of the 2019 Blanco Amor Prize underscores its literary quality. Recommended for those looking for a novel that combines the geographical journey with the emotional one, and which offers a lucid and moving look at the wounds and legacies of the Galician diaspora.