Heirs of the Earth

Ten years after the events of the majestic saga by Ildefonso Falcones "Cathedral by the Sea", we return to medieval Barcelona, where the main character of "The Cathedral", Arnau Estanyol, is an older and respected citizen, and the Puch family, his long-time enemies, have been defeated. However, this benign picture crumbles to dust before the eyes of Estanyol's young protégé, a boy named Hugo Llor, who, having memorized his mentor's most important advice to not bow down to anyone, unexpectedly acquires very powerful enemies at the age of twelve. His dream of building ships is not destined to come true; however, Estanyol's friends introduce the boy to winemaking; over time, Hugo becomes a respected grape grower and vintner – as well as a loyal friend to a cruel corsair, a spy for the king, and a liberator of slaves. Ildefonso Falcones is a lawyer by profession, a historian by vocation, one of the greatest contemporary Spanish writers, laureate of numerous prestigious awards, including Euskadi de Plata (2006, Spain), Qué Leer (2007, Spain), and the Giovanni Boccaccio Prize (2007, Italy); his books have already sold over 10 million copies in several dozen countries, and both novels of his Barcelona saga have become popular Netflix series. "Heirs of the Earth" is a grand epic in which ordinary people, having survived the ruthless meat grinder of History, remain giants, manage to preserve dignity and love, and even find happiness. Justice here is elusive, yet it prevails, and the narrative flows like wine, acting unnoticed and subtly intoxicating. For the first time in Russian!