ThefirstmajorEnglishtranslationofthefinalbookintheexpansiveandessential“Celia“seriesbyElenaFort繳n.SetduringtheSpanishCivilWar(1936-39),CeliaintheRevolutionisthelastinaseriesofyoungadultnovelswrittenbyEncarnaci籀nAragoneses,knownbythepennameElenaFort繳n,oneofthemostprolificandpopularSpanishauthorsofthemid-twentiethcentury.Inaseriesofmorethantwentynovels,Fort繳n’sprotagonistisCeliaG獺lvezdeMontalb獺n,aprecociousandrebelliousgirlfromanaffluentfamilywho’snotafraidtoquestionauthorityanddream,andthatoftengetsherintotrouble.Readerswatchhergrowfromageseventhroughadolescencetothethresholdofwomanhoodatseventeen,whichisherageinthisdark,inspiringnovelaboutthewarthatchangedSpain.Inthislastnarrativeinthelegendaryseries,Celiahasanawakeningthatnotevenherlivelyimaginationcouldhaveanticipated.Theoncecarefree,innocentchildpronetoplayfulfantasiesmustsuddenlyconfrontaworldthat’sutterlychanged,findingherselfamidabloodyconflict,laGuerraCivil.Celia,nowamadrecita,alittlemothertohertwoyoungersisterssincethedeathoftheirmother,isforcedintoalifeofhardship,aworldofhunger,witnesstoviolence,executions,bombingraids,anddeath.WithCelia’ssorrowscomehercourageousandprofoundcompassion,consolingandcaringforvirtuallyeverywarvictimthatcrossesherpath,nomattertheirpoliticalinclinations,andnomatterallthatCeliamustcontendwithherself.Celia,despiteallhertravails,managestosurvivewithdetermination,defiance,anddignity.Writtenimmediatelyafterthewar,CeliaintheRevolutionwasnotpublishedduringElenaFort繳n’slifetime,untilafterthedeathofthedictator,FranciscoFranco,duetocensorship.ThisfirstmajorEnglishtranslationbyeminentscholarandHispanistMichaelUgartecapturesthenarrativeandnuancesofCelia’svoiceandothersinthischaracter-richnovel,andfelloweminentscholarandHispanistNuriaCapdevila-Argu禱lles’sprefacebringspowerfulinsightsintothisremarkableworkbyElenaFort繳nthattranscendsyoungadultliterature.
