Guernica by David Boling/Pablo Picasso

Under the less than $4 downloadable Amazon booklist  one finds Guernica, written 2-3 years ago by debut writer David Boling.  It is a Spanish Civil War historical novel about the famous bombing of the Basque town Guernica by the German Condor Legion led by Wolfram von Richthofen in April of 1937.  Until the bombing occurs this is a marvelous book to read for anyone interested in understanding the pastoral Basque people in the 1930's.  The remainder of the book deals with the bombing and its after effects on the population.  As historical novels go, this is worth a read for blog followers interested in Spain from the historical novel perspective.

At the end of the book Boling tries to sort out the fictional characters from the non-fictional folks.  Does it reflect what really happened?  I have no idea, but imagine there is no lack of opinions on the subject.

Author Statement:

DAVE BOLING on the writing of “Guernica”

Fresh out of college, I met and married a lovely Basque girl whose grandparents had come from Biscaya to herd sheep in the mountains of the American West. They filled me with Basque foods, got me drunk on their wines, and tried to teach me their dances. They showed me the Basques’ characteristically fierce loyalty to their families and heritage. From them I learned of the decades-long oppression of their culture by the Franco regime. And from them I also heard of the bombing of Guernica. 

As the world grew increasingly familiar with acts of terrorism against defenseless civilians, I was struck how the 1937 bombing of the historic town of Guernica had gone unrecognized as an early moment in the history of such attacks. It seemed that people in America were more aware of Picasso’s famed mural than the atrocity that spawned the painting. By fictionalizing the event, I hoped to elevate awareness of the tragedy, and also to create characters who were good and noble people coping with traumatic circumstances in inspirational ways. 

As I researched the bombing, I read stories of a number of Guernica victims who appeared at hospitals with strange symptoms: Their hands were mutilated. The injuries weren't from bombing or burning, but from their insistence on digging barehanded through jagged rubble -- until the flesh tore from their bones – in the single-minded attempt to save their loved ones. 


A full review of the book can be found in the Independent newspaper here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/guernica-by-dave-boling-1635811.html

The bombing of the village was brought to the attention of Picasso by war correspondent George Steer (Steer bronze bust now stands in Guernica as a tribute), leading Picasso to depict the bombing in his famous painting that is zoomable here:


http://www.elrelojdesol.com/zoomable-paintings/pablo-ruiz-picasso/index2.htm

The Guernica painting has traveled the world before finally settling in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid.  A tapestry copy of the painting, funded by Nelson Rockefeller, hangs in the entrance to the UN Security council building in NYC.

Sources:  Many including the omnipresent Wikipedia)