A popular saying goes “from Madrid to heaven”, as if living in the capital were the last step before reaching glory. But for Carlota, that glory has faded over time. The city that once offered her opportunities and new experiences has now become a hostile place: suffocating rents, relentless bills, and a pace that doesn’t allow even a moment to breathe. In her thirties and tired of having to share an apartment just to live, she begins to wonder if that “heaven” is really worth it… or if happiness might be much closer to the ground, in a place where life moves at a different pace.

That question leads her to make a radical decision: to leave everything behind and move to Canguingos, the coastal town in northern Spain where her mother was born. With fewer than five thousand inhabitants, nestled between the sea and the mountains and very close to the French border, Canguingos represents for Carlota the promise of a quieter life. There she will meet a French exile, a pastry chef by profession, who holds a small secret capable of completely changing the course of her life.

Cristina González, known on social media as @TomorrowJuana, returns with her second novel at LES Editorial after the success of El descanso del minotauro. While in that one she mixed magical realism with contemporary narration, here she opts for a costumbrista tone to portray the calm of the town against the bustle of the city, and to explore how a new environment can transform the way we see ourselves, love, and life.