When I Sing, Mountains Dance

Domenec lives in the mountains and is a father, poet, and dreamer. A lightning strike kills him suddenly. His small children, Mia and Hilari, grow up in the high Pyrenees, near memories of the Spanish civil war. Hilari also dies, leaving Mia to meet life's hardships and pleasures by herself. Over many years, the mountain's people, creatures, and other beings speak in turn. Their voices tell of one family's grief and the wild beauty around them. The novel also presents the land as deeply connected, giving voice to lightning, roe deer, mountains, ghosts, widow Sió, and Mia's lovers.

Why You Should Read?

• Follow Mia and Hilari as they grow up wild among the high summits of the Pyrenees.
• Experience a range of voices that includes animals, mountains, lightning, and ghosts from the civil war.
• Meet widow Sió, her grown children, and Mia's lovers, who hold secrets and hidden pain.
• Understand the land as a living web connecting people, creatures, and memories across time.

About the Author

Irene Solà is a Catalan writer and artist. Her work has been shown in Barcelona at the CCCB and in London at the Whitechapel Gallery. Her poetry book Bèstia won the 2012 Amadeu Oller Prize, and her novel Els dics won the 2017 Documenta Prize.