by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
First published 2021
Gitanilla dances through Madrid's streets while hiding her true identity. The Liberal Lover pursues his beloved across Mediterranean waters. Rinconete and Cortadillo discover a thieves' guild in Seville's underworld. Each protagonist in these thirteen stories faces the gap between dreams and reality. Freedom calls to them, but society's rules push back. Adventure beckons, yet disappointment often follows. The English Spaniard struggles with divided loyalties. The Licentiate believes he's made of glass. Two dogs debate human nature in their secret conversation. These characters chase love, wealth, and independence through Spanish cities and countryside. Their journeys reveal how people deceive others and themselves. The stories capture the tension between what characters want and what they can actually achieve.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, adventure, spanish-literature
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Madrid, Seville, Mediterranean
Period: 19th-century
306 pages · Paperback · Independently Published