num_pages: 400
description: A betrayal and a murder in pro-Nazi Spain spark a struggle for power that grips a family for generations in this sweeping historical thrillerFierce, edgy, brisk, and enthralling, this brilliant novel by Víctor del Árbol pushes the boundaries of the traditional historical novel and in doing so creates a work of incredible power that resonates long after the last page has been turned.When Isabel, a Spanish aristocrat living in the pro-Nazi Spain of 1941, becomes involved in a plot to kill her Fascist husband, she finds herself betrayed by her mysterious lover. The effects of her betrayal play out in a violent struggle for power in both family and government over three generations, intertwining her story with that of a young lawyer named María forty years later. During the attempted Fascist coup of 1981, María is accused of plotting the prison escape of a man she successfully prosecuted for murder. As María's and Isabel's narratives unfold they encircle each other, creating a page-turning literary thriller firmly rooted in history.
language: English
title: The Sadness of the Samurai
publisher: Henry Holt and Co.