Readers often ask “what inspired you to write The Girl From Barcelona?” I’m delighted to share how my idea for the story began, and how my characters evolved.
The plotline for The Girl From Barcelona (Book One of the Trilogy) came to mind late one night in Barcelona. It was always going to be a spy story — set primarily in contemporary Spain, the Middle East and Washington, DC.
Fundamentally, the story grew from my fascination with Spain, which is a fabulous country. Yet, like many others, under the surface it masks some deep conflicts and powerful contradictions. For centuries, Spain’s ruling classes denied the overwhelming influence of Islam in its history, even though much of its architecture clearly is Arabic and many of its place names have Arabic roots. Think of al-Andalus and the Spanish Inquisition; you’ll get the idea.
Over many years, I’ve spent a lot of time travelling around Spain getting to know it — especially, discovering the Spain that you don’t see on its golden sands and sunny beaches, or its lively tapas bars. While researching, I stayed away from the tourists’ Spain to discover what really makes this diverse and complex country tick.
Growing up in England, hearing stories from a great-aunt who’d been a long-time governess in Madrid, I was keenly aware of Spain’s immense political, economic and naval power during its golden years. As a kid, I never tired of hearing about how its expansionist policies created the formidable Spanish Empire which stretched to where I live today on the Pacific Coast of British Columbia. Later, I became fascinated with the effects this imperialist phase of its history had on its people, domestically.
There was no middle class in Spain back then, of course. That didn’t evolve until comparatively recently. Spain’s monarchy and aristocratic elites had absolute power, as did its military and the Church. When its vast empire declined, Spain became more introspective — resisting changes coming from outside. Ironically, its glorious architecture and often politically reactionary creative arts became even more influential.
Remember, too, that in all its history, Spain has been a democracy for only a short time. The forces of modernization have clashed and conflicted frequently. The Spanish Civil War and the impacts of Franco’s rigid dictatorship lasted until his death in the mid-1970’s . . . and some still exist today.
How is all of this history relevant to the Daniela series? Well, not only does this turbulent history define Spain and its peoples to the modern day, it also defines many of the characters in my story. No spoiler alerts are needed here; you’ll soon find out that Chief Inspector Robles is a powerful policeman with a very dark side. He comes from a family that has bedrock Christianity running through its core. Yet, he views modern Spain differently—perhaps more progressively, he might argue.
As other characters were introduced into the story — notably, the young Catalan girl Daniela Balmes, as well as Mossos detective Antonio Valls, the Syrian surgeon Jamal Ismet and the American Navy officer, Michael O’Flaherty, I developed the plot and the characters’ relationships mindful of the Arabic saying ‘The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend.’ To me, it epitomizes many thousands of years of Middle-Eastern politics. And not just the Middle East.
Each of the three volumes of this fast-moving modern-day spy series is packed with fascinating but duplicitous characters, both eastern and western. It mirrors what I, as an author, imagine is the real world of espionage and counterespionage. The book’s settings capture some significant geopolitical events, including al-Qaeda’s bombings at Madrid’s Atocha train station, the money-laundering and corruption linked to Spain’s construction boom and bust, and the Catalan separatist referendum demonstrations and violent clashes.
Twists and turns are everywhere in the story; yet, I also wanted a final BIG TWIST — something that you as the reader would not be expecting. I wanted the big twist to reflect today’s complex geopolitical realities. I think it does.
I like the story and the way it ends, and I hope you do too.
Peter
