Memories of a Misty Land.

(PRWEB) September 23, 2004

The story is about Balbino, a boy living in a poverty stricken village in Galicia. Memoirs of a Peasant Boy is set in the 1940’s and follows the everyday life of Balbino while he grows up: from the joy of his first love to the sadness of his daily existence in a repressed and stifling society. Balbino questions everything from the social injustice that he sees around him to the religious restrictions that make individualism nearly impossible. It is clear memoirs from a misty land.

Despite the starkness of the story, the lyrical language of Galicia brings out a light and compelling element to this book. Xose Neira himself was brought up in similar circumstances in the thirties and always dreamed of leaving his village in Galicia. As he was unable to study in the restrictive society of the day, he began to write stories and poetry. When he was nineteen he went to Argentina, where he joined other young artistic Galicians who were trying to improve the situation of the immigrants who found life very hard away from their native land. He married the writer Anisia Miranda and they both went to Cuba where they were involved in the revolution. They eventually moved back to the village in Galicia that Xose Neira had so desperately wanted to leave as a young man. He has written a number of books and also published many books related to Galician literature. He was recently honoured for his contribution to literature.

The translator Camilo Ogando is a head teacher, also born in Galicia. He studied English at Santiago University and also languages at Edinburgh University. He has worked closely with Xose Neira on the translation and the result is a beautiful lyrical book. Although in English, it has retained the Galician phrasing and the almost musical rhythm.

The book is available on http://www.trafford.com and further information on the author can be obtained from camiloogando@edu.xunta.es

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Memories of a Misty Land.