The Living

Fuenterrabía, a small town in the north of Spain,1943. Seven women. Seven days. A desperate mission to hide an English pilot as Franco’s visit to their town looms large.

“They want us silenced, fearful, defeated… But we’re still alive.”

Luisa has faced unimaginable fear and cold, first in the trenches and then in the notorious Saturrarán women’s prison, where nearly 4,000 women endured horrific conditions after the Spanish Civil War. Now, in 1943 Fuenterrabía, under the watchful eyes of German soldiers and Franco’s police, fear is still her constant companion—but she’s learned to live with it.

Emilia, a brave collaborator with the Comète Network, helps smuggle English pilots from occupied France to safety. Despite the fear, she’s driven by a deep sense of duty, reflecting on how war shattered their once peaceful lives.

Miren and her family, along with other courageous women, risk everything to hide an English pilot in “The Willows” as Fuenterrabía prepares for Franco’s visit. These seven women, bound by fear and resilience, weave a powerful network of resistance.

Juana Cortés Amunárriz crafts a gripping novel that never lets you go. This is a story of survival, defiance, and the indomitable spirit of women in the face of tyranny.