Sira

By: María Dueñas, Simon Bruni - translator

Narrated by: Ana Clements

The charismatic protagonist from María Dueñas’s international bestseller The Time In Between returns in a sweeping novel of love and intrigue set against the tumultuous aftermath of World War II.

Former seamstress turned couturier turned spy Sira Quiroga is finally ready to embrace serenity with her British diplomat husband, Marcus, and the upcoming prospect of motherhood. But tranquility proves elusive. Fate has other plans for Sira.

Installed in Jerusalem under the British Mandate, and enmeshed in the murky world of shady operators, political menace, and catastrophic violence, Sira finds her future with Marcus put to the ultimate test. Forced to reinvent herself again, Sira travels to England and adopts a new identity as a journalist dispatched to Spain. But as her skills at cunning duplicity are put into play, the ghosts of her past follow, bent on wreaking havoc in her life.

Moving from turbulent Jerusalem and austere London to Franco’s Madrid and colonial Tangier, and peopled with formidable real-life historical figures, Sira cuts an unforgettable path through the danger, stratagems, chaos, and promise of some of the most momentous events of the postwar era.

©2021, 2023 María Dueñas. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2023 by Simon Bruni.

Critic reviews

“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.”—Historical Novels Review

Wonderful Historical Fiction

I enjoyed this sequel to the Time In Between. The author does a wonderful job intertwining Sira’s story with well. researched and descriptive historical events. Nicely done.

Stories within the story!

Sira, a powerful independent woman! Captivating and entertaining storyline. Fell in love with her determination.

Love the book a great sequel

Perhaps would perfered some more Spanish words / sentences in the audiobook to reflect the author background

Struggled through this book

Hard to understand would not advise iunless you are spanish nOw dont get it