Best Novels About Spain: 50+ Books Set In Spain For Your Reading List
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Loading... - Benjamin Rogers
- 03 Jun 2022
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My Spain obsession is more than just about traveling to the best places to visit in the country and discovering its hidden gems. I’m always in search of the best novels about Spain and I even read some of them in Spanish. Whether it’s a thriller, historical fiction, or a love story, as long as it takes place in Spain, I’ll read it.
So if you share my obsession, you’re planning a trip to Spain, looking for a gift for Spain lovers, or maybe you can’t travel right now and you’re looking for some great reads, here are 50 books about Spain to add to your list!
BEST NOVELS ABOUT SPAIN: TOP 5 PICKS
This is quite a huge list, so if you’re short on time, I’m here to help. Here are my top five picks:
‘Treacherous’ by Sara Rosett (set in Madrid)
‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (set in Barcelona)
‘The Return’ by Victoria Hislop (set in Andalucia)
‘The Island Villa’ by Lily Graham (set on the island of Formentera)
‘Sunset over the Cherry Orchard’ by Jo Thomas (set in Andalucia)
BEST BOOKS ABOUT SPAIN SET ACROSS THE COUNTRY
THE LAST QUEEN
Also known as ‘Juana the Mad,’ Juana of Castile was the queen of Spain in the 16th century and a person whose figure was shrouded in mystery.
‘The Last Queen’ is an intriguing fictional biography that will give you a glimpse into her complicated life, from her marriage to Archduke Philip of Flanders to her imprisonment, and it will certainly make you wonder if she was really mad.
THE SPANISH PROMISE
Set in both Madrid and Andalucia, ‘The Spanish Promise’ follows Charlotte, a wealth advisor who helps people who are dealing with a sudden inheritance.
Now, she has some unusual clients – one of the richest men in Spain is dying and wants to leave everything he has to a woman his family has never heard of.
Charlotte has to track her down and delve into the family’s history all the way back to the Spanish Civil War to figure out who this woman is.
THE LAST JEW
Most historical fiction set in Spain does not talk about the Jewish community that lived there for many years. ‘The Last Jew’ will take you back to the late 15th century, when the Spanish Inquisition had persecuted the Jews in Spain, and they were either killed, expelled, or converted to Christianity.
It follows Yonah Toledano, a young Jewish boy that somehow got trapped in Spain and now needs to hide his identity. He goes on a neverending journey across the country with his burro, trying to survive as a Jew who pretends to be Catholic.
THE QUEEN’S VOW
Before we travel to a new location, I seek out historical novels that will give me some insight into the places and people we’ll be learning about on our travels.
For our visit to Spain, I was keenly interested in the history of Queen Isabella and her family. ‘The Queen’s Vow’ by C.W. Gortner was fantastic!
Rather than mere dates and historical facts, this piece of historical fiction allows the reader to understand how the true-life characters must have felt. It also attempts to explain the reasons for their actions, both simple and life-altering.
Starting when Queen Isabella was just a child, the book brings you through her young life, her marriage to Ferdinand, and the birth of their children.
BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT DOWN AND WEPT
‘By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept’ is a novella by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho that contains a spiritual message about the feminine side of God.
The main character, Pilar, is from a small, conservative Spanish town called Soria. As a young girl, she falls in love with a boy from her town.
He goes off to travel the world, and years later they are reunited in Madrid. He teaches Pilar many things he has learned from different cultures and religions, particularly about the feminine aspect of God.
They begin to fall in love again, but the problem is this grown-up childhood friend is studying to be a priest and is a direct disciple of the Virgin Mary. He, therefore, has to choose between Pilar and the Virgin.
They travel together to the Piedra River across the border in France, which is believed to have the power to rid people of pain and suffering. Through this personal and spiritual journey, Pilar discovers who she truly is and what she wants out of life. Read More…
