I had to read this novel for Advanced World Cultures and thoroughly enjoyed it. The story takes place in Barcelona, Spain in the year of 1945, which is right after the Spanish Revolution. The storyline is exciting and the characters are very likable.... HOWEVER I can only give this book 4 stars because I struggled with the way the author wrote. Imagery is overused and in result the novel turns into a much longer read than necessary. This novel is not a short read, but should not be discounted because of its size because it has such a beautiful storyline.