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Almenara

Book Summary

In "Almenara," an exhausted urban journalist decides to change his life by acquiring a mountain in the Sierra de Almenara, a natural landscape in the Region of Murcia threatened by speculation. His goal is to restore an old stone cabin to escape the noise of the news cycle and reconnect with nature, inhabited by spur-thighed tortoises, foxes, and Bonelli's eagles. However, as he rebuilds his dream refuge, the foundations of his own life begin to falter in a story where the appearance of a mysterious Iberian lynx acts as an enigmatic guiding thread.

What is it about?

The novel follows a journalist who, overwhelmed by stress and the immediacy of the news, decides to flee toward the landscape of his childhood. He buys a mountain in the Sierra de Almenara, a beautiful and little-known enclave in the Region of Murcia that is beginning to suffer from the pressures of urban speculation and intensive agriculture. His plan is simple: restore an old stone cabin to spend weekends in contact with local wildlife, such as spur-thighed tortoises, foxes, and Bonelli's eagles. But as the reconstruction of his refuge progresses, his personal and professional life begins to crumble. At the same time, the mysterious appearance of an Iberian lynx stalks the entire narrative, becoming a symbol of the wild and what is about to be lost. The work intertwines the protagonist's internal struggle with the external pressure of a natural environment in danger, offering a reflection on displacement, memory, and the price of disconnection.

Main Themes

• The identity crisis and burnout of the urban professional.
• The conflict between nature conservation and the advance of urban and agricultural speculation.
• Childhood memory and the reunion with the landscape as a search for meaning.
• The symbolism of wildlife, represented by the Iberian lynx, as a witness to an endangered world.
• The fragility of life projects and the collapse of personal certainties.

Who is it recommended for?

This work is recommended for readers interested in contemporary fiction that addresses the existential crisis and the clash between modern life and nature. It is ideal for those who enjoy novels with a strong component of landscape and ecological reflection, as well as those looking for stories about second chances, the weight of the past, and the search for an authentic refuge. It will also be attractive to lovers of narratives that use elements of Iberian fauna as a narrative symbol.

What this book offers

• An immersion in a real and threatened landscape of the Region of Murcia, the Sierra de Almenara, which functions as another character in the story.
• A profound reflection on the wear and tear of journalistic life and the need to reconnect with the essential.
• A plot that combines the physical reconstruction of a space with the emotional collapse of the protagonist, offering an immersive and symbolic reading.
• The presence of an Iberian lynx as a mysterious element that adds tension and meaning to the narrative.

Technical Specifications

• Author: RUIZ PARRA, MIGUEL ANGEL
• Publisher: XORDICA EDITORIAL, S.L
• Language: Spanish
• Subject: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
• Collection: CARRACHINAS
• Binding: Paperback
• Publication date: June 2024
• Number of pages: 268
• Weight: 420 g

Editorial Review

"Almenara" is a novel that stands out for its ability to merge the personal crisis of its protagonist with a subtle indictment of the degradation of a natural environment. Miguel Ángel Ruiz Parra's prose manages to convey both the rugged beauty of the mountain range and the internal tension of a man who seeks refuge and finds collapse. The inclusion of the Iberian lynx as an almost mythical element adds a layer of mystery that maintains interest. It is a work recommended for those looking for a read that combines introspection, landscape, and social criticism without losing its narrative pulse.