The Seamstress – El tiempo entre costuras: a book about Sewing and Spanish Civil War to WWII

The seamstress - Maria Duenas book cover

Today I want to talk about The SeamstressEl tiempo entre costuras a book by Spanish writer María Dueñas.

Oggi vi parlo di un libro spagnolo. In Italiano è stato tradotto in La notte ha cambiato rumore 

el tiempo entre costuras

The book has been out since 2011 and has quickly become an international best-seller…translations started to flock in.

Il libro è uscito qualche anno fa diventando subito un best seller.

sira e ignacio

It’s the story of a young Spanish seamstress set in the right before the start of the Spanish Civil War of 1936. There are hundreds of book reviews…but I am not linking to any…I wouldn’t want to spoil the plot for you!

It has been so much of a success that a series has been recently aired on Spanish television Antena 3 and there are even talks about a remake. Here is the link to the El tiempo entre costuras website

è la storia di una giovane sarta spagnola e si svolge all´inizio della guerra civile spagnola del 1936. Potete trovare centinaia di recensioni ma non le metto qui per evitare di rovinarvi la sorpresa!

Da qualche settimana va in onda la serie televisiva in Spagna e stanno gia´ parlando di fare un remake. 

sira_quiroga

What’s great about the TV series are the costumes! The white one above was one of my favorites. Not to mention the soundtrack is also very intriguing. I watched the first episode…and it was great. So engaging…but then I stopped as the book  is on its way!  But I am planning to watch it right after!

Unlike other series…you can watch it online throughout the world. There´s even an iPad, iPhone and Android Apps

There’s even a video on the costumes! Costumes are by Bina Daigeler.

So if you wish to listen to some Spanish (or read the subtitles) or simply want to flick look at the images and the gorgeous costumes…you can do it.

Ovviamente della serie la cosa che colpisce sono i costumi. Il vestito bianco e` tra i miei preferiti. Anche la musica è molto bella. Ho guardato la prima puntata e mi sono appassionata già. Ma poi ho smesso perche´ voglio prima leggere il libro. Poi riprenderò!

Se volete potete vedere un video sui costumi della serie La costumista e’ Bina Daigeler.

Se volete potete vedere la serie anche voi online Ci sono anche le app per iPhone, iPad e Android. Potete anche mettere i sottotitoli o semplicemente guardare le immagini. Solo per i costumi ne vale la pena.

needle

Me llamo Sira Quiroga y soy costurera…nunca imaginé que mi destino sería jugarme la vida cruzando la ciudad de un país extranjero con un traje de pistolas sobre mi piel. Pero ahora sé que el destino es la suma de todas las decisiones que tomamos en nuestra vida…incluso las que en su momento nos parecen insignificantes. En mi caso, por lejano que me parezca ahora todo comenzó con algo tan pequño como aprender a enhebrar una aguja.

My Name is Sira Quiroga and I am a seamstress…I would have never imagined my destiny would involve risking my life while crossing a foreign city with a gun frock over my skin. But I know now that our destiny is the sum of all those decision we take in our life…including those that seem meaningless at the time. As for me, though it seems so far away now, it all started with something so small as learning how to thread a needle.

Mi chiamo Sira Quiroga e sono una sarta… non avrei mai immaginato che il mio destino sarebbe rischiare la vita attraversando la città da un paese straniero con un vestito di pistole sulla mia pelle. Ma ora so che il destino è la somma di tutte le decisioni che prendiamo nella nostra vita … anche quelle che al momento sembrano insignificanti. Nel mio caso, per quanto ora mi sembri lontano, tutto iniziò una cosa così piccola come imparare ad infilare un ago.

This is how the TV series starts…

Così comincia la serie…

sira8

You can find the book translated also as The time in between (Literally the Spanish would translate The Time Between Seams)

Below are some more language version links.

Qui trovate alcune traduzioni del libro

In Italiano La notte ha cambiato rumore

En Francais L’espionne de Tanger

Auf Deutsch Das Echo der Träume

Have I managed to intrigue you?

Sono riuscita a farvi venire la curiosità?

sira9

 

Images are property of Amazon or Antena 3 website.

11 thoughts on “The Seamstress – El tiempo entre costuras: a book about Sewing and Spanish Civil War to WWII

  1. Ya tenemos más motivos para seguir cosiendo, esta vez inspirándonos en los modelos que luce la valiente Sira.
    De momento no estoy siguiendo la serie porque la novela me gustó mucho, mucho, pero después de oír tanto a costureras como a compañeras de trabajo de lo fiel que es el guión no me la puedo perder.

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  2. My mother spent her high school years in Spain so this book is especially interesting to me. She was an exceptional seamstress,I’m so glad you wrote about it.

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  3. Claro que me has dejado súper intrigada! El otro día leí un comentario sobre la serie en el blog de Pauline pero no sabia que se podía verla en línea – me encanta la idea, especialmente ahora que Mr. Stitch esta fuera necesito distracciones. También me encanta la idea de leer el libro así que voy corriendo a Amazon a ver si puedo encontrar un distribuidor español que me lo envíe a Toronto, porque esto hay que leerlo en el idioma que se escribió, no te parece? Mil gracias por la reseña.

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  4. I read this over the summer and liked it a lot. It’s a good read! Intrigued to hear about the TV series – we used to live in Spain and I like the idea of rediscovering the language (not that I was ever particularly good at it, and we’re now 10 years later with no practice!) So I will probably be watching it – thank you for the info and links! I hope you enjoy the book 🙂

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  5. I see the book everywhere in the bookstores around here but haven’t watched the series yet. I did see the comercials for it and thought the costumes and decors look great (so did the ones for Gran Hotel, and that was filmed here in Santander). I guess I’ll have to get the English version of the book, and then watch the series online. Thanks for the tip.

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  6. I read the book thissu mmer and thought it was really, really good! The whole story is quite amazing and yet, the entire setting is so very realistic (and based upon real history). i was sorry to have the book ‘end’ the way it did, but alas 🙂
    I had no idea the story was made into a TV series! i just watched the special video about the costumes and they indeed look absolutely wonderful! I hope that we will get to see a subtitled version of it here, one day – having a remake would not feel quite the same, in a way.

    Thank you for pointing out the links to the series!

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  7. Mannaggia a me e al mio totale disinteresse per la lingua spagnola!
    Questa serie mi incuriosisce moltissimo da quando l’ho vista sul blog di Pauline Alice, ma non sapendo una parola di spagnola e non trovando i sottotitoli almeno in inglese, non so se la reggerei. Proverò, quanto meno, sembra davvero valerne la pena!

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