This entry is very special to me, and it truly comes from the heart, because it means the return of Alejandro Palomas at his very best. Alejandro is a magician with words, and in this book every little detail matters. The way he tells this story shows life in its purest form, wrapped with charm. I fell in love with this book and told Alejandro: “This is a little treasure we’ll share with your most loyal readers. It’s you at your finest, but I hope that those who don’t know you yet will discover your work through this enchanting novel.”
Mika is seven years old and has just discovered that one family can be divided into two homes without any explanation on how she is supposed to move on from now on. Her parents are getting a divorce, and she is trying to make sense of all these changes by asking questions that adults do not always know how to answer. The person who understands her the most is her grandfather, Tadeo.
Together, they will take on an unusual project: transforming the courtyard into a forest. They plant trees, name them, and create a place to feel Grandma Celia’s presence. What starts as a shared adventure turns into a way of talking about absence, fear, and everything that lies beyond our control.
In Casa, Alejandro Palomas once again looks at the world through the eyes of a child without oversimplifying their emotions. Mika observes, asks questions, and draws her own conclusions while at the same time understanding that what we lose does not always disappear completely. The bond between the girl and her grandfather makes way for a story about love across generations and what we leave behind on those who love us.
The novel’s beauty lies in the smallest gestures: planting a tree, sharing a silence, remembering someone without allowing their absence to become the centre of everything. In this story, the author once again finds magic in everyday life and transforms a courtyard into a place where healing can happen.
Alejandro Palomas is the author of books such as El tiempo que nos une, Una madre, Un perro, Un amor, Una vida and Un hijo, which won Spain’s National Prize for Children and Young Adult Books. Translated into more than twenty-five languages, his work is known for the sensitivity with which he portrays family bonds, loss, and the emotions that so often remain unnamed.
Casa is now out in bookshops. A tender, luminous read for those who understand that some stories are not about what happens, but about what is left behind. Because some things are still there, even when we cannot see them.
