"I was almost born Happy." So begins The Spanish Bow and the
remarkable history of Feliu Delargo, who just misses being "Feliz"
by a misunderstanding at his birth, which he barely survives.
The accidental bequest of a cello bow from his dead father sets
Feliu on the course of becoming a musician, unlikely given his
beginnings in a dusty village in Catalonia. When he is compelled to
flee to anarchist Barcelona, his education in music, life, and
politics begins. But it isn’t until he arrives at the court of the
embattled monarchy in Madrid that passion enters the composition
with Aviva, a virtuoso violinist with a haunted past. As Feliu
embarks on affairs, friendships, and rivalries, forces propelling
the world toward a catastrophic crescendo sweep Feliu along in
their wake.
The Spanish Bow is a haunting fugue of music, politics, and
passion set against half a century of Spanish history, from the
tail end of the nineteenth century up through the Spanish Civil War
and World War II.