The South and Bene are poignant and haunting first-person narratives, each delving into the consciousness of a young girl in the context of postâ€"civil war Spain. In The South, the adult narrator’s visit to her childhood home and to the grave of her father, who committed suicide, evokes memories that constitute both a confession and a struggle to come to terms with the tragic death. The circular structure of the narrative leaves the reader with a painful sense of loss, yet Adriana’s promise to abandon forever her childhood home may allow her finally to come to terms with the past and begin a new life.
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Bene exudes an aura of the supernatural. The memories of this narrative revolve around the family maid, Bene, a gypsy with a terrible secret. Intense emotions and Gothic elements characterize this novella, but the limitations of the child’s consciousness result in a haunting ambiguity. Is Bene the embodiment of evil or a victim of prejudice? Suggestions of diabolic possession and incest create an eerie atmosphere in which the line between fantasy and reality is blurred.
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An important voice in contemporary Spanish literature, Adelaida GarcÃa Morales was born in Badajoz and raised in Seville. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a teacher, translator, model, and actress. She has published six other novels.
