Soledad Puértolas

Puertolas is, apparently, a very highly regarded writer in Spain, a member of its Royal Academy. This is, I think, her only work in English. The book is a collection of three stories, each of which is tied to the others by a character or two. The write-up on Goodreads strikes me as largely accurate and I will paraphrase it: Bordeaux traces the fates of three people: an elderly woman living a solitary life; a Frenchman involved in unfulfilling relationships; and a young American woman traveling in Europe. Their stories intersect in seemingly random yet revealing ways, gradually forming a complex social portrait. Unifying all their stories are the themes of loneliness, restlessness, and the search for meaning in a world in which neither the past nor the present offers firm answers or lasting consolations. Ultimately disappointing, though I would be interested in reading other works by her because of her adeptness at creating characters.… (meer)