Author: Manuel Lamana
- Fiction
- Editorial Seix Barral, S.A.
- ISBN: 9788432215575
- Release Date: 02-14-2013
-Reviewed by: Milly C. Lugo
Manuel Lamana was a young adult when, in 1939, he and his family were forced to leave Spain and seek political asylum in neighboring France. More than 50 years later and now a professor in Argentina, Lamana receives his deceased father’s belongings. Among the items he finds a handwritten manuscript. It is an account of his father’s experiences during their separation in France after leaving Spain. Thus, Diario a Dos Voces, is born; a fragment of life within the historical content of Spanish political unrest and its corollary effects.
Diario a Dos Voces by Manuel Lamana is based on the author’s father entries and the author’s corresponding recollections of life during their separate journey into exile. The Lamanas, like many other families of that period, were forced to escape from war torn Spain and the Franco regime. Women and children begin their journey first; while the men followed weeks later.
The book is written in a fluid and easy to read style. In his entries, the father conveys the feelings of frustration and discomfort suffered by all refugees in the ‘transitional living quarters’ (referred to as concentration camps). Lamana’s entries, on the other hand, lack introspection and spontaneity. They fail to connect the reader with the subject. The writing is more informative than captivating.
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