Book: Alberto’s Lost Birthday
Author: Diana Rosie
This was an uplifting read, detailing the relationship between a young boy called Tino and his grandfather Alberto. Jumping between the settings of Civil War-era Spain and the present day, the novel manages to remain upbeat and positive in spite of some quite horrific scenes.
Alberto is an orphan and his grandson his horrified to realise that he has never had a birthday because he doesn’t know when he was born. This sets a quest in Tino’s mind to discover Alberto’s ‘lost’ birthday. The quest coincides with a difficult period of the family’s life and travelling across the country to find the birthday provides a welcome relief from Tino and Alberto’s difficult home situation.
Travelling across the Spanish countryside, the narrative switches between Tino and Alberto’s journey and memories of the past. Chapter by chapter, Rosie switches the narrative (and often the narrator) so that eventually a story builds up, where the past and present weave together to form a heartwarming, if bittersweet resolution.
I found Rosie’s writing to be both engaging and accessible and I found the concept of the novel incredibly fascinating. With a cast of loveable (and a few not-so-loveable characters) the story fits together beautifully. Touching on the themes of power, mortality, religion, history, conflict, memories and family, the novel is able to cover a great deal of ground in an accessible and enjoyable way. On the whole, it was a novel I enjoyed a great deal!
P.S. My song choice for this week is Paloma Faith’s new track, Crybaby. I think it’s got a great message & I also like the video. I feel it’s pretty dystopian and has some Handmaid’s Tale vibes. Enjoy 🙂
Adam's Random Ramblings 