49 Días

Book summary

An intimate, realistic chronicle of the lockdown lived by a couple and their two dogs in a flat in Lavapiés during the 49 days of Spain's state of alarm for COVID-19. Through day-to-day life in a small space and a multiracial neighbourhood, the author explores the tensions, silences and resilience that emerge when everyday life comes to a halt. A work that captures the collective experience through the most personal gaze.

What is it about?

The novel follows a couple who, together with their two dogs, are confined to a small flat in the Madrid neighbourhood of Lavapiés for the 49 days of the state of alarm declared during the COVID-19 health crisis. The story runs from the start of the lockdown until 2 May, the date on which the possibility of going outside during set time slots was announced. The author describes how relationships, routines and emotions evolve in a limited space, in an urban setting marked by cultural diversity. It is a tale of daily resistance, forced adaptation and the small conflicts that surface when coexistence becomes compulsory and the outside world turns into forbidden territory.

Main themes

• —Confinement and forced coexistence in small spaces.
• —The emotional impact of the state of alarm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• —Life in multiracial neighbourhoods and cultural diversity in central Madrid.
• —Couple relationships and the bond with animals in extreme situations.
• —Day-to-day chronicle as testimony of a recent historical event.

Who is it for?

For readers interested in contemporary novelised non-fiction, urban chronicles and personal testimonies about the pandemic. Also for those looking for an honest, unvarnished view of life in lockdown, and for anyone who wants to explore what it means to live in a neighbourhood like Lavapiés from an intimate, realistic perspective.