By Tomás González
Alfaguara 2011

Now that TEMPORAL, Tomás González's new book, is available in bookstores, it's worth revisiting LA LUZ DIFÍCIL (The Difficult Light), this author's powerful story that leads us to ask: Where does a human being find the strength to overcome soul-wrenching situations? There are parallels between reality and fiction that explain the origin of this fortitude. One example is the life and work of the Spanish poet Miguel Hernández, who was persecuted and imprisoned for his political convictions. Miguel Hernández was able to survive the horrors of confinement and produce his beautiful work because he found sustenance in his wife Josefina's letters during his captivity.

For David, the narrator of The Difficult Light, the reconstruction of his story, told from the solitude of his old age, is only possible because of the legacy of love, solidarity, and complicity left by his wife, Sara. Only this emotional bond between David and Sara, despite their infinite sorrow, allows them to respect their son Jacobo's decision to refuse to continue living in pain and suffering. This book is about grief condensed into time.