, published in January 2023 by Editorial Anagrama , is a semi-autobiographical novel by Álvaro Pombo . It explores the ideological fractures of a wealthy Santander family on the eve of the Spanish Civil War, centered on the author's real-life uncle, Álvaro Pombo Caller. Core Narrative and Characters

: Alvarín’s mother, a successful fashion designer in Paris who remains physically distant but maintains a constant epistolary connection with her son. Historical and Literary Context

: Alvarín’s father, a liberal, agnostic republican and admirer of Manuel Azaña. The respectful yet strained intellectual debates between father and son form the emotional core of the book.

: The novel concludes with the outbreak of the Civil War, leading to Alvarín’s imprisonment and eventual death on the prison ship Alfonso Pérez .

: The work won the Premio Francisco Umbral and the Premio de la Crítica de Madrid . Santander, 1936 - Álvaro Pombo - Google Books

: The story contrasts the "peaceful" monarchical past of Santander—once the summer residence of Alfonso XIII—with the high-tension provincial atmosphere of the Second Republic.

The novel functions as a Bildungsroman (novel of formation) that examines how youthful idealism can lead to tragic political choices.