I guess I didn't know this site had weblog capabilities until now. I will try a few posts and see if anybody is interested.
The news about "Guernica" is that it won the reader vote as the top book of the eight Richard and Judy Summer Reads selections in the UK. Thank you readers and voters. I wondered if that's a bit of a hollow distinction as the Richard and Judy show is canceled. I'm told that at the very least it will cause another sticker to be placed on the cover. Very nice and gratifying, though, to get that kind of wonderful response from readers. It also was the top seller among the eight, I'm told.
After some promo work in South Africa last week, we should have some "Guernica" publicity via the Jenny Crwys Williams show on 702 Radio (not sure on the date, but I'll supply a link when I spot one), a possible story in The Sunday Times by Andrew Donaldson, and a feature on FMR Radio in Cape Town.
It's also been picked up by a Croatian publisher, pushing the territory total to 14 (12 languages) ... giving us publications in both Serbian and Croatian, incidentally.
If you are a reader stumbling upon this, feel free to ask questions or share thoughts. I promise I will get back to it when possible.
Best,
Dave
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I could try to say something 'artistic' such as a literary critic might write, but that would be false! I'm on holiday in the French Alps and have just finished (half an hour ago) reading Guernica. I was blown away by it, so much so that I intend to find out more about the fate of the Basques during that period and one day visit Madrid to see the painting, of which I have a 5-foot wide copy on my wall at home. Thank you for such an amazing piece of honestly warm and passionate, non-pretentious literature. You must be so happy to have written such a masterpiece for a first novel! I loved it.
Diane Hunter
If you do get the chance to get down to the Pyrenees and the Basque coast, you will love it. The scenery and the people .. food ... culture, etc. .. are equally impressive. And to stand in front of the mural at the Reina Sofia museum is a truly memorable experience. I've done it three or four times now and it gets harder and harder to step away from it.
Thanks for taking the time to check in here, and please feel free to check back and contribute.
Sincerely,
Dave
I spent a month in Spain this past spring, (my first visit) and love the country. I did get to Asturias and Cantabria, but not to the Basque region.
I did get to see Picasso's Guernica and had read commentary on it, but wish I had read your book first. I guess I'll have to find a way to get back to Spain.
Congratulations on a really great book. I hope it becomes a huge best seller. I have recommended it to friends from Peru and Argentina. I have a friend who works for the Spanish government in the Basque region (a very stressful job), and it helps me to understand a little better about the tensions in the region.
All the best,
Dave
I've just finished Guernica and it's a brilliant read. I've taken my family to Northern Spain on holiday for the past 5 years and we've been to Guernica and visited the Junta and the Oak and the Peace Museum etc so there are many places I can relate to when reading it. We normally stay in Cantabria so haven't quite made it along to Lekeitio yet but it's a must for next year. As a Scot I am fascinated by the Basque culture and 'Guernica' has added a bit more understanding of the region and it's history. Even as I type this my mind is wandering to a glass of Txakoli in Victor Montes in Bilbao....a few thousand miles away from where I am at the moment! best wishes,
I have to-day completed reading your novel Guernica. A wonderful read , well done and thank you.
I have to reiterate what many have already stated in the previous emails, GUERNICA is a wonderful book! I just finished reading it today and was so moved by your heart-wrenching ending that I felt compelled to write to you.
I am a Basque-American currently living in San Diego, CA. My "Aita" was a Jai Alai player, "pelotari," from Euzkadi who came to Florida and met my Irish-American mother. How they got together is a story in itself since my "Aita" didn't speak English at the time, and my "Ama" spoke only English. Love is definitely the universal language because my parents overcame their community barriers to create our family. I have had the privilege of visiting my Basque relatives in Euzkadi on several occasions and know more about my Basque heritage than I do of my American heritage. As you so aptly describe in GUERNICA, the Basques' familial ties are extremely strong and important. Your character descriptions are so accurate that I felt that you were describing many of my relatives and friends. I have known all of my life about GERNIKA and the atrocities that befell the Basques. As an art major and an art educator, I have studied about Picasso and have shared with my students about his historical masterpiece depicting the horrors that Franco allowed on that eventful day in April of 1937. My father had shared with me how, when he was a 12 year old boy, he witnessed, from the mountains of his Basque village of Etxebarria, the devastating destruction and burning of Gernika. Your powerful description of the senseless killing and annihilation of Gernika by the Nazis vividly brought this event to life for me. However, your poignant depiction of the indomitable spirit, strength, and independence of the Basque, especially when facing such adversities, could not have been better illustrated. Your wife and your children are very fortunate to have a husband and father who loves and respects their Basque heritage to create such a wonderful family heirloom in GUERNICA. On behalf of other Basque-Americans, "Ezkarrik asko," thank you very much for enlightening others about the Basques and this particular moment in history. As you state in your book's dedication, it seems that history, unfortunately continues to repeat itself. God knows the world has suffered numerous "Guernicas," but maybe by documenting these moments in books such as yours, we will learn from our past mistakes, and not allow them to be repeated. Thank you again for your wonderful novel. Please continue sharing your artistry by writing more books.
Thank you so much for your wonderful message. The story of your Aita and Ama made me laugh because my daughter now lives in Madrid and her dear boyfriend speaks very little English and she speaks little Spanish. Yet they are happy as can be.
During research for Guernica, I talked to a number of people who had the same experience as your father. And more than 70 years later they are still brought to tears with the remembrances of that day.
Readers have been very kind in their response, especially the Basques. My Spanish publisher, Suma/Santillana, kindly brought me over for a tour in the fall of 2008, and it was particularly rewarding to meet so many Basques AND Spaniards who appreciated the book. I met several Basques who lost their parents or relatives that day. Some told me they felt the book was a tribute to their memory. I considered those the most important "reviews" I could ever get.
Thank you again, very sincerely, for sharing your thoughts and story.
Dave
I majored in Spanish at WSU and eventually taught languages and journalism at Bethel High School in Spanaway. I've always had a fascination with Basque history and culture. Your novel amazed me with its engaging humanity.
Keep the novels coming.... I'll keep reading the sports section and watching for more of your work!
--Irene Hicks
Dear Renate,
What a lovely note. Thank you so much for sharing.
Dave
I have struggled through 'el dia en que murio guernica' by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts in spanish, kindly donated by my mother-in-law, and have also read 'The Basque History of the World' by Mark Kurlansky, so i am familiar with the facts about gernika and the basque history. Your book was an amazing yet somehow uplifting insight into tragic times, blending facts with fiction to create a most memorable experience.Thankyou.
Just a couple of coincidences to mention, my afore mentioned mother-in-law was sheltered in the church Santa Maria during the bombing of gernika, and my wonderful 3 year daughter speaks that amazing mixture of spanish, basque and english!
Dear Michael,
I'm so grateful for your comments. As you could probably tell from the tone of my book, I very much loved the time I've spent in Lekeitio (what a magical little town) and that I developed a real passion for the story and the people of Guernica/Gernika. I hope to get back there ... the first round at Bar Guria will be my treat!
Dave
Hi, Mary, thank you for the nice note. No ... I won't stop writing.
I'm told it's not great for an author to disclose too much about the story behind fiction. In general terms, I'll say that my wife was FAR more "related" to Miren than to Catalina/Angelina ... especially as the Miguel/Miren meeting scene ("You have the eyes of a Gypsy fortune-teller" ...) was pretty much autobiographical. No kidding.
Thank you, John. In some of my research, I discovered some interesting points that didn't work into the book, particularly as it revealed the support of American businesses for Franco's fascists. I think it was Standard Oil and Ford Motor Co., that not only did business with Franco, but gave him sweetheart deals, as well.
Jenny
What a sweet note, thanks so much for sharing it. I hope your hospital stay was short and you're back up to speed. Plesae tell your friends about the book. There's some messages in there I'd love to be spread around.
Take care,
Dave
Dear Philippa,
Thank you so much for the kind note. And for digging up the website and the blog to comment. I have not been to New Zealand (would love to go), but from what I've seen in pictures, it probably looks and feels a lot like the Basque country. It's so beautiful there. The people are incredibly warm and hospitable, and the food is absolutely amazing!
I did an author's presentation at a literary festival with New Zealand writer Rachael King. (Sound of Butterflies). She was delightful, and I would recommend her book if you haven't read it.
Thanks again. Take care,
Dave