
In bustling Seville two young sisters grapple with the loss of their father, an Indian explorer whose death has left their family in poverty. Their widowed mother, having squandered what little remained, clings to a handful of debts that finally come due, forcing the sisters to consider a drastic change in their lives. With hope flickering, they weigh whether to seek a fresh start in the distant city of Granada or the vibrant streets of Córdoba.
A trusted confidante arrives with a bold suggestion: head for Madrid, the sprawling hub where fortunes are won and lost amid a sea of strangers. He paints the capital as a place where even the humblest orphan can rise, promising connections among merchants, nobility, and countless opportunities. As the sisters contemplate this daring leap, the promise of adventure ignites both excitement and uncertainty, setting the stage for a journey where ambition, love, and danger soon intertwine.
Full title
Die Harpyen von Madrit, oder die Postkutsche Aus dem Spanischen des Verfassers der Donna Rufina
Language
de
Duration
~2 hours (166K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.)
Release date
2017-03-15
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1584–1647
A lively voice of Spain’s Golden Age, this novelist and playwright is best remembered for witty, fast-moving stories of rogues, intrigue, and urban life. His work blends sharp observation with the playful style that made 17th-century picaresque fiction so enduring.
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by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón