Women who burn: reading my first novel in Spanish

Women who burn

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This post contains spoilers for Mujeres que arden by María Esclapez.

I'll always remember 28 April 2025, not only because it was the day of the infamous apagón, when we had a nationwide blackout in Spain, but also because it’s the day that I finished reading my first novel in Spanish. Reading is my first love and it’s not uncommon for me to read a novel in English in a day. So when I tell you that it took me more than three months to finish reading my first novel in Spanish, you’ll understand why it felt like such a milestone. 

This wasn’t the first time that I’d completed a book in Spanish. I’d read a few graphic novels, a book about watercolour on location, and significant chunks of books I’d enjoyed in English that had been translated into Spanish. But this was the first time I’d read an entire novel in Spanish where there were no illustrations to provide context clues, and I knew nothing about the story before I started reading it. And I think the fact that there is no English translation of this novel is why it's the one that helped me break that reading barrier: the only way to find out what happened to the characters was to keep reading in Spanish.

I found Mujeres que arden on a table of featured books at my local library. (There's something delightful about picking up a book on a whim and leaving yourself open to a little magic - it takes me back to childhood, when that is how I chose every book I read.) The novel's full title is: “Mujeres que Arden. Una novela para renacer de tus cenizas,” which translates to: “Women who burn. A novel for being reborn from your ashes.” It’s the first novel from María Esclapez, who’s a clinical psychologist, just like Eleonor, the main protagonist in the book. Most of the novel is told from Eleonor’s perspective, and since we're a similar age, I learned plenty of phrases that I can use in my day-to-day life. 

At the start of the novel, Eleonor’s life is falling apart. She’s just quit her job, broken up with her toxic boyfriend, and escaped to Toledo to stay in the house of her grandfather, who’s recently died. In the unexpected mess of her grandfather’s house, Eleonor finds a handwritten diary from the sixteenth century, and a significant part of the remaining story is told from the perspective of that unknown woman writer. As a result, we get to travel to the Toledo of the sixteenth century, when the city was an important seat for the Inquisition and its related witch trials. 

For some reason, growing up in Australia I learned a lot about the Spanish Inquisition, but it was almost always from the perspective of the British. This novel is the first time I’ve read a text written about the Inquisition by a Spanish woman for Spanish readers. Not only were the historical chapters engaging to read from that perspective, they helped me to practise understanding a more formal and literary Spanish. I also enjoyed the unexpected cameos by historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Juana de Castilla (who was historically known as Juana la Loca or Joanna the Mad.) 

The main storyline is a mystery, but there are also strong themes of self-transformation, finding romance in unexpected places, and challenging patriarchal framings of the past. These are themes I was already familiar with and enjoy, which made it easier to understand the context of unfamiliar words. I could mostly let myself enjoy the (slow) flow of the story, only looking up words when they appeared multiple times or were essential to understand the main action in a scene.

One of my favourite scenes in the book is when Eleonor gets drunk and decides to text her ex-boyfriend about getting back together. Initially, Eleonor narrates what she thinks she's typing, but the next morning she reads the actual text messages that she sent, replete with typos and accidental innuendo. I found myself giggling at the silliness as well as feeling all the second-hand embarrassment, which felt like such a breakthrough.

It’s an understatement to say that it’s difficult to learn another language as an adult, especially if you’re trying to live in another country or build real community. I've found that practising Spanish by focusing on activities that I already love, like reading, has opened up so many opportunities for learning and improving my confidence. My biggest takeaway from this experience was that successfully learning a language has so much in common with learning art: the most important thing is to enjoy the process!

What's your favourite novel that you've read in another language (or in translation)?

If you're trying to learn another language, how can you experiment to enjoy the process more?

Sketches from Granada celebrates every-day moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves. I know how easy it is not to be present in your own life, and I hope these sketches inspire you to seek out those moments that are worth savouring. 

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