At this time of the year, the name of Christopher Columbus inevitably comes up.
Many disputes have arisen about his legacy for America, but what about his impact on Spain?
Spain struck it rich, thanks to silver from the New World, and Columbus became a hero—doesn’t that sound like the recipe for that nation’s promising future?
If you travel to Spain, you’ll likely see many ornate buildings decorated with silver from the New World—signs of Spain’s vast wealth in the 16th century.
But Spain’s wealth and prestige didn’t last long. Why not?
- Wars and revolts:
- 1568 revolt began in Netherlands
- 1570s Morisco (Moors) rebellion in Spain’s Andalusia province
- Decades-long wars with France and Spain
- Silver imports led to inflation and a price revolution
- Bankruptcy (multiple times)
- Eventual decline in silver imported from America
- Bubonic plague in 1599 killed 500,00 people (1/10th of Spain’s population)
- Aristocrats disdained trade as work for converted Jews or Muslims; the only honorable pursuits were leisure or a career in the church or as an educator
- Exports of Merino wool couldn’t compete with cloth from England or the Netherlands
A new time-split historical novel, The Lines Between Us, is set in 17th-century Spain, after the glory days, and in the contemporary U.S. Its plot and characters intrigued me and increased my knowledge of Spain’s history. (Note to readers: the Spanish honor code is a central plot theme, including a family’s response to an act of sexual violence.)
I had the pleasure of asking the author, Rebecca d’Harlingue, about her novel and how she wrote it. Enjoy the interview that follows!
Readers, what interesting facts can you share about Spain’s history?
Author Interview with Rebecca d’Harlingue:
What led you to seventeenth-century Spain as the main setting for The Lines Between Us?
I had studied the literature of the period in some of my graduate school classes in Spanish literature. In the “honor plays” of the era, if there was a sexual transgression involving a woman in a man’s family, even if it was against her will, one option to “cleansing the stain” was to kill the woman. I wanted to explore what alternatives a young woman in this situation might have.
Was there a triggering event that prompted you to begin writing?
There wasn’t really a triggering event. I just wanted to see if I could successfully write a novel.
Where did you discover the details of life in this time?
I used books and articles, and also the Internet. One book that was particularly helpful was Daily Life in Spain in the Golden Age. I also read books on the politics of the period, the Inquisition, and many others. The plays of the period also played a large part in the book.
Were there points in your writing when you couldn’t find information you thought was critical to the story’s progress? If so, what did you do?
One of my characters writes in his diary his thoughts about the New World. It was difficult to find information about what new books about that topic might have been available during the middle of the seventeenth century. I was able to find more information from books printed earlier, and so I used those, noting in the diary when the books were printed.
Did you discover any surprises while researching this novel?
One thing I found out was that women, even from the upper classes, would often sit on the floor on cushions, or on a very low bench. It can’t have been easy to do in those clothes!
What were the most challenging aspects of writing this novel?
The most challenging thing was to weave together the narration from two different time periods, along with diaries and letters. I wanted to make sure that the reader could follow along, and not feel disoriented when going from one period to another.
What did you enjoy about writing this novel?
I enjoyed imagining what life would have been like for my characters, especially what strategies women used to function within the constraints of their time period.
What do you hope readers will take away after reading The Lines Between Us?
I hope that people will see the resilience of women over time, and that they will find inspiration in that.
Thank you, Rebecca, for your insights into this story and your writing process!