Shoal

Cardumen

Book Summary

In this novel, a young girl grows up alongside her elderly grandmother while absorbing her memories: the industrial Vigo of the early 20th century, the "shoal" (cardumen) that emigrated, the work at the port and at sea, the gentry of provincial salons, and those who suffered reprisals after the 1936 coup. As an adult, she evokes the weight of a family saga marked by ambiguities and weaknesses hidden under the mantle of the postwar period. The work does not dwell on historical facts, but rather on their effects on the memory and mind of those who lived through them, offering a tale of beautiful style and profound symbolic coherence.

What is it about?

The narrative follows a girl who, as she grows, becomes the recipient of her grandmother's memory. Through this transmission, the reader gains access to an industrial Vigo of the early 20th century, the exodus of a human shoal that emigrated, worked at the port and at sea, and the life of the gentry clinging to provincial salons. The story delves into the effects of the 1936 coup, those who suffered reprisals, those who prevailed, and those who remained silent. Now an adult, the protagonist evokes and calibrates the weight of an entire saga, whose origin lies in the ambiguities and weaknesses that the postwar period concealed. The novel focuses on how these historical events impact the memory and mind of those who experienced them, rather than on the events themselves.

Main themes

• The transmission of memory between generations.
• The industrial and port-side Vigo of the early 20th century as a historical setting.
• Emigration and work at sea as collective experiences.
• The consequences of the Civil War and the postwar period on daily and family life.
• Human ambiguities and weaknesses hidden under silence and repression.
• The construction of identity based on inherited memories.

Who is it recommended for?

This novel is recommended for readers interested in contemporary narrative that explores historical memory and its psychological effects. It is ideal for those who appreciate refined prose with a poetic and symbolic style, and for those who seek stories centered on the personal and family experience during the Spanish postwar period, rather than a chronological account of events.

What this book offers

• An immersion in the collective memory of a specific time and place, through an intimate and evocative narrative voice.
• A profound reflection on how the past, with its silences and contradictions, shapes the identity of new generations.
• A reading experience that combines narrative with a strong poetic and symbolic weight, offering a refined and original literary style.
• A perspective that prioritizes the emotional and psychological impact of history over objective facts, inviting empathy and understanding.

Technical sheet

• Author: REXINA VEGA
• Publisher: EDITORIAL PENDRAGON S L
• Language: Spanish
• Subject: FICTION AND RELATED ITEMS, MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
• Collection: NARRATIVE
• Binding: Paperback
• Publication date: October 2011
• Number of pages: 160
• Weight: 189 g

Editorial review

Cardumen is a novel that stands out for its focus on memory and its effects, rather than on historical chronicle. The work offers refined and symbolic prose that envelops the reader in the atmosphere of industrial and postwar Vigo. It is especially interesting for those looking for a narrative that explores the complexities of emotional inheritance and family silences, presented from an intimate and poetic perspective. It is a recommended read for appreciating how literature can address the weight of the past without falling into a conventional historical account.