Historical Novels Review, November 2023:

Sira continues the story of Sira Quiroga begun in The Time in Between (The Seamstress). Sira had left Spain before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and was living in Morocco as a successful couturier when she was recruited by the British SOE to gather information from Nazi wives. Here she met Marcus, a British spy-diplomat.

In Sira, we follow Sira to Palestine, England, Spain, and back to Morocco. World War II is over, and she has married Marcus, but there will be no settled, quiet life following their daring lives of espionage during the war. Marcus is sent to Jerusalem under the British Mandate overseeing Palestine. Here, Sira abandons her careers as a seamstress, couturier, and spy and takes a supporting role as Marcus’s wife, awaiting the birth of their child, and trying her hand as correspondent for the Palestine Broadcasting Service.

Dueñas effectively gives us a picture of what is taking place during this time of upheaval in 1945 when tens of thousands of Jewish Holocaust survivors flee to Palestine, resulting in conflict with the Arabs and violence. Dueñas’s foreshadowing of an upcoming devastating event builds tension and keeps the pages turning. Sira’s life is upended in the aftermath of this event, and she is repatriated to England. Here she attempts to put her life back together while working for the BBC. The Secret Intelligence Service needs her undercover skills again. Her first mission takes her back to Spain, where she is assigned to infiltrate Eva Perón’s European tour, The Rainbow Tour. The insider details of this tour and Eva Perón are well researched and so fascinating.

Dueñas is very good at interspersing Sira’s backstory into the narrative in Sira as necessary. For a richer reading experience, I recommend reading The Time in Between first. Both novels provide a reader with fresh historical settings and great escapades.

Janice Ottersberg

I enjoyed catching up with Sira and following her next adventures. A worthy successor to The Time in Between.

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Sira by María Dueñas is a sequel to the international best-seller The Time in Between. The story follows seamstress turned spy Sira Quiroga post World War II.

Sira Quiroga, no longer a spy, married a British diplomat and is living in Jerusalem under the British Mandate. When her husband, Marcus Logan, dies in a bomb planted by Jewish extremists, she returns to Spain adopting the identity of a journalist following Eva Perón’s Rainbow tour.

Sira’s street smart and bravery are put to the test in Franco’s Madrid, and later on in Tangier, Morocco. With danger along the way, she witnesses some important historical events.

I was excited to read this book because I tremendously enjoyed The Time in Between. The story takes place in several places I’ve been to, and am familiar with their history.

Sira by María Dueñas, reads much like a history book instead of a novel. There is a lot of information thrown at the reader, the plot is dull, and the narrative is repetitive. There are no insights and the whole story-line only moves forward based on coincidences and implausible situations. Some strange tangent about a piece of jewelry lost by María Eva Duarte de Perón, better known as just Eva Perón or by the nickname Evita, takes a quarter of the book and I still have no idea why it would be such a big deal. This plot line worked in The Three Musketeers, but here it was just tedious.

The author’s talent shines through, there are great passages here and there, but I had to trudge through hundreds of pages to find them. There’s no focus or a clear objective in the plot, each of the four parts has very little to do with the previous part.
The whole book simply doesn’t flow, and worst – it’s boring.

Instead of connecting, once again, with Sira, I found myself just “reading to finish”. Once finishing a chapter, I found myself putting the book down and not excited to get back into it – every chapter one after the other. After reading three-quarters of the book I finally put it down.

I really did not like it, especially cause The Time In Between is one of my favourite books ever :( Still, many thnx to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this title.

Sira is the long-awaited sequel to The Time in Between, a smart and captivating novel that I adored; it was a five-star read. Now our protagonist is back but unsure of where to go next in life. She accompanies her new husband, Marcus Bonnard, when his job relocates him to Palestine after World War II has ended. However, it takes some time for Sira to find her own pursuits, and even when she does, they don’t last long. But things completely turn around when she loses Marcus on the same day their son is born. Sira ends up in England before signing on for one last undercover mission in Spain.

As much as I loved The Time in Between, I expected to enjoy Sira just as much. Unfortunately, though, I never fully connected with this one. I can’t pinpoint why exactly. The writing is equally good, and though less naive now, Sira is still a complicated character. This book is also just as international, set in four different countries across continents, and involves the politics of each.

Perhaps fundamentally the stakes simply feel lower here. I never really understood why the work Sira here did was that important, in contrast to how vital it felt in the first book. Another issue I had is how disjointed everything feels. It’s almost like four novellas rather than one cohesive novel. The four parts (Palestine, England, Spain, and Morocco) don’t have the strong through-line that I had hoped for.

Sira herself is also less likable here, or at least her unlikable qualities struck as more bothersome now. Before, she was naive and selfish at times, but she was still young. Now she’s a bit older, but still seems somewhat self-centered in matters beyond her newborn son. Some events happen early on that I didn’t like much, and the people she interacts with afterward seem to all react to her more or less the same way.

Despite its shortcomings, Sira is still strong in other ways. I loved getting to know different countries, mostly from an outsider’s perspective. Through Sira’s eyes, we get to see how Palestine and England are in the mid-1940s, both politically and culturally. When she returns to Spain, it’s from a local’s perspective, albeit after many years living abroad. It’s not until she returns to Morocco that Sira seems to be on sure footing (with the exception of the climatic issue that takes place there!).

I also enjoyed getting to know the different political landscapes in the aftermath of World War II. First Sira is in Palestine as the conflict between Jews and Arabs unfolds. Later she’s in Franco’s Spain, but more than looking at Spain’s own political turmoil, we’re also getting to know about the political landscape arising in Argentina with their new president, Juan Perón. The two countries are aiming for an alliance, and Argentine First Lady Eva Perón’s visit is part of that plan.

Finally, for those who read the first book, it’s fun to see some of those characters reemerge here. Sometimes it’s a welcome reunion, but sometimes it leads to more problems! This is largely tied up in Sira’s new role as a mother to her baby son, Víctor, and an antagonist knowing how to hit her where she’s weakest.

While there are many things I enjoyed about Sira, overall this sequel is a bit of a letdown compared to its predecessor. It just never fully captured my interest the way The Time in Between did.

However, I am interested in seeing the TV series for The Time in Between and the upcoming adaptation of Sira—perhaps it will translate better on screen? I’m hopeful that it will.

Espionage, fashion, and romance are back in the triumphant return of Sira Quiroga, first introduced in the international bestseller THE TIME IN BETWEEN.

🧵 Book Review: SIRA by María Dueñas 🪡

First published in Spanish in 2021, this beautifully written sequel to THE TIME IN BETWEEN (which spun off into a miniseries, which I loved, and even a musical!) is now available in English. 🙌 In these pages protagonist Sira Quiroga navigates the aftermath of World War II, motherhood, romance, and international politics. Most notably, the reception of Argentine First Lady Eva Perón in Spain is explored among a swirling tale of intrigue.

🎙️ My Take: This book is long, but worth the time investment. The tale is so eloquently shared—a masterful feet given it’s a translation into English—and the themes and content so rich that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just as I loved THE TIME IN BETWEEN, which first introduced the world to Sira Quiroga. The eloquence of the story is seriously a study in beautiful writing. Highly recommend this novel, especially for anyone interested in Spanish or Argentine politics, or simply looking for a wonderful historical fiction book that goes beyond the standard European WWII setting.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

😘 Thanks to #AmazonCrossing and @netgalley for making this a glorious #NetGalley Read Now find.

"Sira" by María Dueñas promises an enthralling continuation of the story of Sira Quiroga, the former seamstress turned couturier turned spy, in a world filled with intrigue and historical significance.

The description alone hints at a captivating and multi-faceted narrative. Sira's journey from Jerusalem under the British Mandate to the chaotic world of espionage and political danger is bound to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Her reinvention and transformation as she navigates various identities and locations, including England, Spain, and Tangier, showcases her resilience and adaptability.

The historical backdrop of the British Mandate, Franco's Spain, and colonial Tangier adds depth and authenticity to the story, immersing readers in the complex and turbulent times of the postwar era. The inclusion of real-life historical figures further enriches the narrative, making it an educational and engaging read.

The theme of reinvention, the ever-present ghosts of the past, and the looming chaos of historical events create an intriguing blend of personal drama and historical fiction. Sira's journey promises to be filled with suspense, danger, and unexpected twists.

For fans of historical fiction and espionage tales, "Sira" seems like a compelling read that will transport them to a bygone era filled with secrets, stratagems, and momentous events. María Dueñas' storytelling prowess and her ability to weave together history, intrigue, and memorable characters bode well for an exciting and immersive literary experience.

This was a beautifully done translation and I had enjoyed The Time In Between a lot. María Dueñas uses World War 2 perfectly and I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this setting. It was written perfectly and left me wanting more in this world.