Description
Like the roots of old fig trees
Book summary
A novel that explores the intertwined lives of two women who, driven by the need to flee poverty and oppression, leave their rural origins behind. Brígida, hoping to prosper, and Raimunda, escaping from reproaches, venture into unknown environments where loneliness and harassment become their traveling companions. Through their experiences, author Tecla Martorell Salvat weaves a powerful chronicle of resilience, complicity among the oppressed, and the wounds left by local bossism and sexism. A work that invites one to look through a keyhole at reality, revealing timeless abuses and darkness.
What is it about?
Brígida and Raimunda are two women who, from different starting points, embark on a journey of forced emigration due to their circumstances. The former, driven by the ambition to improve her life; the latter, by the need to flee from criticism and rejection. Although their paths are different, their destinies end up intertwined through bonds of complicity that can only be born between those who must live with a common oppressor.
The novel places them in hostile and unknown environments, where they interact with characters who push them toward loneliness and humiliation. Ignorance and poverty, fueled by an oppressive local bossism and condoned sexism, become the forces that shape their lives. Abuse, darkness, and perversion are constants in a story that, like a furtive glance through a keyhole, discovers the rawest and most timeless realities of the human condition.
Main themes
- Forced emigration and rural uprooting
- Gender oppression and condoned sexism
- Local bossism and abuse of power in rural settings
- Resilience and survival in hostile contexts
- Complicity between oppressed people
Who is it recommended for?
For readers interested in contemporary fiction with a strong social and historical component. Especially recommended for those who enjoy narratives focused on women's struggle for dignity in environments marked by inequality and abuse. Also for those seeking a novel that, with direct and uncompromising prose, portrays the darkest realities of rural society.
What this book offers
- A deep, unfiltered look at the dynamics of female oppression and resistance.
- A timeless portrait of the consequences of local bossism and sexism on individual lives.
- A reflection on complicity as a survival tool among the dispossessed.
- A narrative that connects personal experiences with structures of power and inequality.
Technical data
- Author: MARTORELL SALVAT, TECLA
- Publisher: Cossetània Edicions
- Language: cat
- Topic: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
- Collection: NARRATIVE
- Binding: Paperback
- Number of pages: 288
- Weight: 477 g
Editorial review
A novel that stands out for its ability to give voice to women silenced by history and power structures. Tecla Martorell Salvat constructs a story that, while harsh and uncomfortable, is necessary to understand the roots of inequality and abuse. Her prose, direct and unembellished, connects with the reader thanks to the strength of her protagonists and the universality of the themes she addresses. A work recommended for those seeking a reading that challenges and generates reflection.