Strange Destinies is a collection of six novellas by a first-time Spanish writer, about the coincidences that shape the destinies of those who do not accept the lives that seem expected of them. Instead, the characters follow unexpected destinies in the diffuse area between coincidence and causality, a no-man’s land where everything is possible, and they become interested in people or things that in principle would not be part of their lives.
The Madrid Trilogy comprises three novellas set in Madrid. They are urban tales, although there are some scenes in Segovia and Cantabria. In contrast, the Paraty Trilogy takes place in Brazil – in Paraty Bay and its surrounding mountains – and amidst nature. All the places described exist, as do most of the people. Some people appear in more than one story, playing major or minor roles, adding depth to their characters.
SYNOPSIS OF THE SIX NOVELLAS
The Madrid trilogy
The truth about Roberto Nelson. The terrorist attacks in Madrid in March 2004 had a profound impact on the author, and this novella is a catharsis to overcome those events. A journalist has to investigate and then decide what to do with that information. A story about pain and love.
The day I lost my cool. An affluent man commits a murder. A prison story in which the inmates’ memories evoke dreams of faraway places. Friendship and loyalty lead to further changes that are not always within the law.
Bruno goes for a walk. A young man on the dole decides to help a stranger, and his life then takes an unexpected and dangerous turn. An urban thriller in which the main character is the archetypal young Spaniard of today, with more opportunities for drugs and partying than finding a job, but who is capable of sparing no effort in helping others.
The Paraty Trilogy
The Paraty Monster. A writer who has lost his inspiration is forced to spend two nights in an old house beside the road. There, an old man tells him a story that he turns into this tale: a magical tale about loneliness, set in Paraty’s mountains and beaches.
One night in June. A single night spent in the mountains surrounding Paraty Bay. A night of alcohol and marihuana in which humour overcomes suppressed anger, and friendship and humour are combined with strange, yet real, characters.
A house in Trindade. A Spanish doctor chooses this village near Paraty as the setting to rebuild his life. All the characters have hidden pasts, and friendship may arise from hatred, but only truth can generate love.