I can’t believe it’s already July. This year, spring has been stolen from us and we have gone from winter to summer without being aware of it. Without a doubt, reality has surpassed fiction. That’s why reading Ana Alcolea’s latest book, EL ABRAZO DE LAS AMAPOLAS (“The Hug of the Poppies”), gave me goose bumps. Sometimes the real world is scary, but we must learn to accept it. That’s what happens to the protagonists of this wonderful children’s novel.

Miguel and Sabina have imagined many fantastic stories that would explain why their parents don’t let them visit the forbidden forest next to the park where they walk Gustavino.  Both decide to discover the mystery and investigate what is hidden in that forest. Their teacher Carmen, when interrogated by the children, decides to take them on an excursion to the forbidden forest. There she explains to them that in that forest there is an old war camp that is now covered with red poppies, in honor of the blood spilled there in the past. The kids discover that sometimes reality is scarier than any ghost story.

EL ABRAZO DE LAS AMAPOLAS is a children’s novel in which, through words, the courage of the little ones, their curiosity, and the fear of the adults to uncover the truth are shown. These three fundamental ingredients make the story round and remind us how important it is to accept reality. Thank you Ana Alcolea for, once again, telling us such a magical and real story. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the Aragonese Letters Award you have received this week, which is so well deserved.