The forest knows your name.
The forest knows your name (2018) is a novel by the Bilbao writer Alaitz Leceaga. In the work, the author focuses the reader's attention on the story of two twin sisters - antagonistic to each other and rich from birth, heirs to the Marquis of Zuloaga - who possess natural born and unique powers acquired from the maternal line.
In addition, and as a plus of intrigue and mystery, a strange curse haunts the girls and has signaled that some of them will inevitably die when they turn fifteen. Thanks to an excellent marketing, and some very good introductory lines achieved by Leceaga, the novel was able to position itself quickly on the best-seller lists in its first month.
About the author, Alaitz Leceaga
As Irene Dalmases wrote in The Plural, in the section of the "Feminist Tribune":
“A lonely red shoe thrown next to a Cantabrian cliff led Alaitz Leceaga from Bilbao to sit down at the computer to create the story of two twin sisters, Estrella and Alma, protagonists of the novel The forest knows your name”…
And so, with determination —but not by magic, like many things in her story and in her thousands of literary lines—, the writer managed to shape the project that made her clearly visible in the European and international world of letters. . She is just 38 years old (she was born in 1982). It comes from that generation that enjoyed the stories told at night in the halls, in the forest, in the rooms and in every good place where you can enjoy a story. His work screams it.
As he commented in this same interview to The Plural, Leceaga "always knew that she would be a writer." This is revealed by his early love of reading, having a special fixation for books with a magical, supernatural theme and with a female protagonism. Hence, its main topic also aims to enhance the role of women in communities in human history.
The author has declared admiration for Isabel Allende and her work, for how this successful writer has managed to position women in her plot. Recently, Leceaga put out his new novel, The daughters of the earth (2019) The story of this book is also colored with that touch of magical realism and with female empowerment, but this time in the XNUMXth century, in La Rioja and having the vineyards as witnesses of the events.
Alaitz Leceaga.
About the novel: The forest knows your name
The magical realism of Leceaga
The text is framed within magical realism, but with a very own touch of the author. The Spanish myths and legends of curses of those gypsy roots stand out, although interspersed with the Latin American nuance that Grandmother Soledad adds.
The time, the places and their circumstances
The time of the events that arise is framed in the first half of the twentieth century, exactly between the third and fifth decades. Regarding the locations, although the plot begins in the imaginary Basondo, Spain, opposite the Cantabrian Sea, Leceaga walks the readers through England and the United States; in Surrey and California, respectively.
The mythical narrative clears in a very intelligent way with the warlike events that marked that epoch of humanity. Then, you can read how the events of the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the Rebellion of the miners in Asturias are related in key points. All this, while talking about black magic and the actions of the dark Nazi sect Ahnenerbe and their strange misdeeds.
At that moment, marked by those beliefs about natural and under those historical circumstances, the history of The forest knows your name. Now, speaking of the central plot, we find a story that captivates by its mysteries from the beginning. And it is that the curses that are presented with distant explanations and that require to be scrutinized in depth, bind, irremediably.
Villa Soledad and the family that inhabits it
Already, in itself, the setting of Villa Soledad —Mansion where everything begins and that is recreated in a space where the Cantabrian Sea meets a thick and mysterious haunted forest— wraps up. In its facilities, Leceaga is showing us the life of the Zuloaga family and the profiles of each member of it.
Something is sure the reader when facing each character, and that is that: either you hate them for being very bad, or you love them for being very good. The middle terms are not appreciated much, not like the constant changes of sides and opinions. This last aspect is very marked during the narrative.
The presentation of the protagonists (Alma and Estrella) and their characters, although it is somewhat unconventional —Yin-Yang—, is well carried out. In addition, this is perfectly complemented by the powers that both possess. And if we add to all this the curse that dictates that one of them has to die when they turn 15, the result is a formula that ties the one who reads until they know how it will happen and who has to be the one with the fatal destiny.
The plot continues after the announced death
Perhaps part of the best thing is that after that unfortunate event, the plot continues to evolve, along with the characters. This is how new and interesting twists are being raised. As mentioned, the historical events that occurred in those 3 decades so convulsive for Europe and the world are described, while the survivor of the curse fights against the patriarchal images of the time to overlap and demonstrate the power of women.
Quote by Alaitz Leceaga.
Some key characters in the story
Soul:
She is the "good" twin with a docile character. His gift is that of being able to communicate with the dead. In addition, it is her turn to guard the secret of the curse of who will die at 15 years of age.
Star:
She is the twin of indomitable character, like a Spanish Doña Bárbara. It has marked overtones of selfishness, mixed with a notable need for effort to achieve notoriety. The only counterproductive in her role as an empowered female is that she achieves most of her goals because of her beauty.
The Marquis of Zuloaga:
He is the father of the twins. He is characterized by being the typical bossy macho. In his lands, his word is the law, and whoever contradicts him sees them badly, even his daughters and his wife. He is subject to the latter and has no right to anything contrary to his wishes.
Grandma Soledad
It is for her that Villa Soledad is built. Her husband, Don Martín, had the mansion built as a remembrance of her love. She is of Mexican origin and the magical gifts of the twins come from her lineage. It is what could be classified as a "shaman". Among his supernatural gifts, stand out the power to prophesy the evils that will happen, or at what moment the flowers will reach their splendor. It even predicts storms and has dominion over nature.
carmen neighborhood
She is the one who has the important role of taking care of the twins. Yes, the lullaby. She practically fulfills the role of mother to Estrella and Alma. He is a character who is easily loved and who catches with his interventions.
Stereotypes and extremes
It should be noted that there is abuse regarding the stereotype of machismo in male characters, with practically only one being that it is "good". The extremes are also clearly perceived: one is angelic good or demonic bad.
While the latter is evident in many characters in the book, it can be seen notably in the roles of Alma and that of the Marquis of Zuloaga. And no, it is not that there are no such people, it is just that a little flexibility and reflection to explore other nuances could notably enrich the plot.
A well-managed story, despite its length
Of the rest, and despite the length - more than 700 pages in the digital version - the author knew how to cope with the plot. It is not easy to keep a reader tied to such a story, in terms of length and content. This is because, and with merit it must be said, Alaitz Leceaga's writing is fresh.
Descriptive narrative a bit slow
Now, in its four parts —Fire, Water, Wind and Earth— and in its 24 chapters, there are moments where the narrative becomes slow. In fact, even tedious and repetitive. This occurs in the descriptive pauses of the sea, the common spaces, the forest. However, he overcomes and picks up the pace again.
Certain loose ends
Another aspect that does not go unnoticed are events that do not have a logical reason for being. That is, they happen "just because", as if everything came together so that the least expected situations occur, over and over and over again. And, while magical realism allows certain possibilities for the author, abusing it may not be a good option.
It is more pleasant for the reader to know the reason for the events, although this is not instantly explicit. And it is that leaving loose ends, too much, more than mystery, can denote a certain lack of attention or carelessness. Of course, it must be remembered that the length of the book is considerable and it was an immense bet on the part of the author. In addition, he achieved his mission with sales and recognition. This, in itself, is already a lot in today's competitive world of literature.
Endnotes
You can have The forest knows your name as a book for readers who want to get started in extensive reading, as well as for experienced readers. Of course, retailers will notice the gaps and talk about them, but it returns to the point of the first comprehensive project with very good achievements. The work is an invitation to breathe new airs and discover in them the imagination and impetus of this Basque writer.