Pre-Pub Book Buzz: The Time In Between by Maria Duenas

Maria Duenas's The Time In Between has some big shoes to fill based on the marketing info making its way around. The info I received begins:

Discover what 2 million readers already know

The Time In Between is a word-of-mouth phenomenon that catapulted Maria Deunas, a debut author, to the top of Spain's bestseller lists, and has been sold in twenty-five countries.

This breathtaking novel, which combines the storytelling powers of The Shadow of the Wind with the irresistible romance of Casablanca...

Really!? I have to say, I sincerely hope so! Here's more from the publisher's site:

Between Youth and Adulthood . . .

At age twelve, Sira Quiroga sweeps the atelier floors where her single mother works as a seamstress. At fourteen, she quietly begins her own apprenticeship. By her early twenties she has learned the ropes of the business and is engaged to a modest government clerk. But everything changes when two charismatic men burst unexpectedly into her neatly mapped-out life: an attractive salesman and the father she never knew.

Between War and Peace . . .

With the Spanish Civil War brewing in Madrid, Sira leaves her mother and her fiance, impetuously following her handsome lover to Morocco. However, she soon finds herself abandoned, penniless, and heartbroken in an exotic land. Among the odd collection of European expatriates trapped there by the worsening political situation back on the Continent, Sira reinvents herself by turning to the one skill that can save her: her gift for creating beautiful clothes.

Between Love and Duty . . .

As England, Germany, and the other great powers launch into the dire conflict of World War II, Sira is persuaded to return to Madrid, where she takes on a new identity to embark upon the most dangerous undertaking of her career. As the preeminent couturier for an eager clientele of Nazi officers' wives, Sira becomes embroiled in the half-lit world of espionage and political conspiracy rife with love, intrigue, and betrayal.

The book's official release date is Nov 8. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and have it at the top of my TBR stack for post Halloween reading. You can read an excerpt here. It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks around here, but I'm getting some reading time in. And it's my anniversary weekend. One year on Monday!