Book Review: *Guernica* by Dave Boling

Publisher’s Synopsis:  An extraordinary epic of love, family and war set in the Basque town of Guernica before, during, and after its destruction by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War.  In 1935, Miguel Navarro finds himself in conflict with the Spanish Civil Guard, and flees the Basque fishing village of Lekeitio to make a new start in Guernica, the center of Basque culture and tradition. In the midst of this isolated bastion of democratic values, Miguel finds more than a new life—he finds someone to live for. Miren Ansotegui from the town’s most prominent family, is a charismatic and graceful dancer who has her pick of the bachelors in Guernica, but focuses only on the charming and mysterious Miguel. The two discover a love that not even war, tragedy, or death can destroy.

History and fiction merge seamlessly in this beautiful novel about the resilience of family, love, and tradition. The bombing of Guernica on the eve of World War II was a devastating experiment in total warfare by the German Luftwaffe. For the Basques, it was an attack on the soul of their ancient nation; for the world, it was an unprecedented crime against humanity. Picasso was so horrified by the bombing that he vowed to spread his vision of it in a mural that would become a global icon.  In his first novel, Boling reintroduces the event and paints his own picture of a people so strong, vibrant, and proud that they are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their values, their country, and their loved ones.

She Is Too Fond Of Books’ Review:  Dave Boling’s debut novel, Guernica, successfully merges fact and fiction to tell the tale of the steadfastness of the Basque people in the face of devastation of their town.  The fictional framework for this history lesson is the story of two families – one, a family of three brothers raised by the eldest, Justo Ansotegui, a man of mythic strength and presence;  the second is the Navarro brothers, Miguel and Eduardo, fishermen who leave the sea after a run-in with the Civil Police. 

Central to the story is the history of the region – the Pays Basque (Basque Country) had been run autonomously from Spain; Guernica is set during the Spanish Civil War, when the Guardia Civil  (Civil Guard) enforces regulations prohibiting all things Basque, including the language, native dress and traditional dances.  Boling sets the scene admirably; the Navarro brothers leave their family and their livelihood when they are forced to flee their fishing village of Lekeitio after taunting the Guardia Civil. 

In the Prologue we get a sense of the tensions that still exist in 1939, two years after the bombing, when Justo visits the market to hear the Basque language whispered among the stalls:

So Justo comes to listen.  The language always has been the most important act of separation anyway, as the bond is to the words more than to the land.  Since nothing on maps reflects their existence, the extent of their “country” is the range of their language.  But like the dances, the flag, and the celebrations, the words are banned, making a prayer whispered in Basque as illegal as a call to arms in the public square.

Miguel Navarro settles in Guernica where he falls in love with Justo Ansotegui’s daughter, Miren.  Their story is beautifully told, Boling writes of their courtship, Miren spinning in traditional Basque dance, and other pleasant routines of their daily life. 

Pleasant until April 26, 1937, the day the Nazi Luftwaffe bombed Guernica.  This section (Part IV) of the book is written in shorter, starker paragraphs.  Boling gets into the head of Wolfram von Richthofen, one of the bombers and nephew of the “Red Baron,” and imagines what the day is like for him.

Running in the background is the secondary story of Pablo Picasso, then director of the Prado museum in Madrid, and his impetus to paint Guernica.  We visit Picasso several times before and after the attack, and see how the painting evolves.  Boling describes what a viewer may have experienced at the unveiling:

The painting screamed, and they heard it immediately, but it took time for them to catch the whispers.  They saw the fallen warrior before they detected a shadow flower next to his broken sword.  They saw the bull before the broken-winged bird on the table in the dark background.  The wound to the horse was noticed only after attention was drawn away from his pained muzzle.  They stared and paced its length, making new discoveries as they moved from angle to angle.

Guernica wraps a love story around this tale of war and art.  The love Justo has for his family; beyond the immediate family to in-laws, friends, and neighbors.  Most of all, it illustrates the strong bond the people of Guernica feel for their native land and the strength of their traditions:

… if you lose someone you love, you need to redistribute your feelings rather than surrender them.  You give them to whoever is left, and the rest you turn toward something that will keep you moving forward.

Dave Boling is a sportswriter for the Tacoma News Tribune; an article on his website indicates that he had the “discipline and focus” to write much of Guernica while on the road following the local sports teams.  His interest in the Pays Basquecomes from his wife, whose grandparents came from the Basque region.  Boling feels that more people are familiar with Picasso’s mural than with the events that inspired it; I agree that reading Guernica will give you insight into the history of the area, as well as provide an entertaining story that will have you invested in the characters he has created.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA for providing my review copy.

Have you read Guernica?  Thoughts on the novel?  If you have a recommendation for a book about Picasso (written for someone with very little knowlege of him and his art), please let me know!