Goodbye, Ramona - (Modern Library Torchbearers) by Montserrat Roig (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A vivid, enchanting novel, spanning over sixty years, chronicling the lives, loves, and secrets of three generations of women in twentieth-century Barcelona--a rediscovered classic by "the shining light of Catalan literature" (Colm Tóibín), with an introduction from Catherine Lacey

"That Roig's work has lost none of its immediacy over the years speaks to the urgency of her prose and the timelessness of her vision."--Anthony Marra, author of Mercury Pictures Presents

A Most Anticipated Book: Forbes, Marie Claire, and The Millions

Three women from the same family--grandmother, mother, and daughter, all named Ramona--come to life in the pages of Montserrat Roig's Goodbye, Ramona. The eldest Ramona lives quietly with her well-meaning husband, but longs for the romance and adventure of her favorite nineteenth-century novels. Years later, her daughter, Ramona Ventura, finds herself constantly enduring her husband's mood swings and aggressive outbursts. The youngest Ramona falls for a university student whose progressive ideals are undercut by his condescending treatment of her. Each woman, in her own time and in her own way, lives her life in silence: their true feelings about the men in their lives, the violence of Franco's dictatorship, and their dreams and aspirations, all go unspoken.

But the youngest Ramona is lucky enough to be growing up in a Barcelona on the brink of revolution, in the 1960s, when women are finally beginning to claim agency. Will she break free from the fate of the women who came before her and build a life centered on her own happiness?

Goodbye, Ramona is an unforgettable social mosaic of Barcelona across the twentieth century, and a universal, powerhouse story of love, power, and the lasting influence that family holds over all of us.

Review Quotes

"[An] epic of Catalan literature."--Marie Claire

"This beautiful novel spans three generations of women named Ramona; the grandmother who yearns for a bigger life, the mother who suffers her husband's violence, and the daughter whose progressive values are threatened by her father. Set against the backdrop of Franco's dictatorship, Goodbye Ramona explores agency, happiness, and the inextricable nature of family."--Forbes

About the Author

Montserrat Roig (1946-1991) was an award-winning writer and journalist based on Barcelona, and the recipient of numerous prestigious prizes including the Premi Víctor Català and the Premi Sant Jordi. Her journalistic work focused on forging a creative feminist tradition, and on recovering the country's political history. Her novels take similar stances, reflecting on the need to liberate women who were silenced by history.