THE TIME IN BETWEEN by Maria Dueñas

Unpopular opinion: I got very little joy out of reading this historical fiction novel, based on the events between the Spanish civil war and World War II in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Typically, this would be right up my alley. Throw in a strong female spy protagonist and a few spicy romances, and this book had to potential to be a new favorite. However, I found it difficult to become enthralled in.

What I liked:

It was incredibly interesting learning about the Spanish civil war, and the Spanish protectorate in Morocco. These are places I have never read about in the context of a World War II novel, and I love learning more about this era. I also appreciated that Dueñas included at least two real people in this story, and wove their lives seamlessly into the main character’s. It is an incredibly difficult subject to write about and to effectively tie together so many differing governments, populations, political factions, etc. into a cohesive piece. I also realize that this book is translated from Spanish, and therefore may not be exactly how the author intended for it to be written (if that makes sense).

What I did not like:

The main character (Sira) fell flat to me. This was mostly a first person narrative, and I tend to take issue with those regardless of the quality of writing. However, it seemed to me that the first two thirds of this novel could use some major editing. The dialogue was repetitive and redundant. The descriptions of how Sira was feeling throughout the book could be much more powerful if they were showing how she was feeling, instead of these removed, distant, and drawn out descriptions of heartbreak. It really felt like reading the memoirs of someone who lived this life, and I was prepared for a powerful, exciting, and heart wrenching tale. It just fell flat to me.

Let me know if you have read this and what you think, or if you have any recommendations for other novels about this time period and area!