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Juanita La Larga (1896), the third of Juan Valera's eponymous
novels with a female protagonist, unfolds in a small town in
nineteenth-century Spain and tells the story of a young girl's
romance with a wealthy widower many years her senior. In addition
to their substantial difference in years and class, the lovers must
contend with the indignation of his imperious married daughter, the
public rebuke of a churchman, and the strictures of society. As the
novel opens, readers are introduced to Juanita in the exuberance of
youth. We witness her maturation into a young woman and along the
way we watch as she learns to deal with humiliation, anger,
jealousy, and a pride that makes for bittersweet moments. Juanita
reveals a cunning personality that is complemented by a dogged
determination and an iron will; once she realizes what she wants in
life neither the fear of reprisal nor the prospect of ostracism
deters her. Other well-conceived, well-delineated characters are
Juana, Juanita's mother and village do-it-all; Dona Ines, the
haughty, sanctimonious daughter of the widower Don Paco who falls
head over heels in love with Juanita and wants to marry her; Don
Alvaro Roldan, Dona Ines's dissolute husband; and Don Policarpo,
the town druggist. This charming work appears here for the first
time in English and is elegantly translated by Robert M. Fedorchek.
""Juanita la Larga"" gives Valera an opportunity to describe, in
loving detail, life in an Andalusian hamlet: its social levels,
political intrigues, religious observances, rustic amenities, and
hearty fare. But above all it offers a vibrant picture of Juanita,
a worthy sister to other Valera heroines like Pepita of ""Pepita
Jimenez"" (1874) and Luz of ""Dona Luz"" (1879).
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