Black Bread

Acclaimed in its home country of Spain when it was originally published in 2003, this poignant novel by the late Catalan writer Teixidor combines a rural coming-of-age story with the harsh politics of post%E2%80%93civil war Spain. Eleven-year-old Andreu, whose father is a political prisoner and mother is a factory laborer, is sent to live with relatives in rural Catalonia after the war. He settles into a seemingly idyllic rural life with his cousins, initially unaware that the children are suspect because of their parents' socialism. But Andreu's cousins are becoming more interested in sex than in childish games, and his father's sudden death in prison contributes to his political awakening. He wants to avoid the fates of those around him%E2%80%94farming or factory work%E2%80%94but struggles to envision another future for himself. The structure of the novel is intriguing: early on, it could be a bucolic, meandering memoir, interspersing the rhythms of daily life with a few memorable incidents, but both pace and tension increase as Andreu grows up. Teixidor's rich writing style adds to the lush rural feel of the novel, evoking a setting like that of Marcel Pagnol's novels while incorporating a great deal of complex political nuance. Agent: Dan Lazar, Writers House. (July)