Remember Me: A Spanish Civil War Novel

Written by Mario Escobar

Narrated by Zach Hoffman

Amid the shadows of war, one family faces an impossible choice that will change their lives forever. From bestseller Mario Escobar comes a 20th-century historical novel of sacrifice and resilience inspired by Spain’s famed Children of Morelia and the true events that shaped their lives.

Madrid, 1934. Though the Spanish Civil War has not yet begun, the streets of Madrid have become dangerous for thirteen-year-old Marco Alcalde and his two younger sisters. Marco’s parents align themselves against the new fascist regime, unaware that their choice will endanger the entire family—nor do they predict the violence that is to come.

In a desperate bid for safety, the Alcaldes join many other Spanish families in making an impossible choice to send their unaccompanied children across the ocean to the city of Morelia, Mexico—a place they’ve never seen or imagined, but whose government promises their children protection. Young Marco promises to look after his sisters in Mexico until their family can be reunited in Spain, but a harrowing journey ensues.

As the growing children work to care for themselves and each other, they feel their sense of home, family, and identity slipping further and further away. As their memories of Spain fade, they begin to wonder if they will ever see their parents again or the glittering streets of the home they once loved.

Based upon the true stories of the Children of Morelia, Mario Escobar’s Remember Me—now available for the first time in English—paints a poignant portrait of an immigrant family’s sacrificial love and endurance, detailing just how far we go for those we love.

“Luminous and beautifully researched, Remember Me is a study of displacement, belonging, compassion, and forged family amid a heart- wrenching escape from the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War. Fans of Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Chanel Cleeton, and Lisa Wingate will be mesmerized.”—Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration

• Based on real historical events: Full-length, 90,000-word historical novel based on the true stories of the Children of Morelia
• Researched and written by a subject-matter expert: Mario Escobar has a master's degree in modern history and lives in Madrid

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Sep 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9780785236603

Mario Escobar

Mario Escobar, novelista, historiador y colaborador habitual de National Geographic Historia, ha dedicado su vida a la investigación de los grandes conflictos humanos. Sus libros han sido traducidos a más de doce idiomas, convirtiéndose en bestsellers en países como los Estados Unidos, Brasil, China, Rusia, Italia, México, Argentina y Japón. Es el autor más vendido en formato digital en español en Amazon.

Reviews for Remember Me

[susan0316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This beautiful well written, well researched novel takes place before, during and after the Spanish Civil in the years 1934 - 1941. I enjoy historical fiction and especially enjoy it if I learn something new. I knew very little about the Spanish Civil war before reading this book and learned about how the war split up Spain in this brother to brother conflict and the aftermath of this bloody war.Marco, Isabel and Ana Alcalde live in Madrid with their parents, The war hasn't started yet but people have taken sides and Madrid is no longer safe. Once the war and the bombing start, Madrid became very dangerous and their mother decided to send them to Mexico when the Mexican government promised protection to the imperiled children of Spain. The three children are put on a ship with approximately 500 other children and sent across the ocean to live in a town called Morelie. When they first arrive, they are treated to parades and a lot of love from the citizens. However, the living conditions and treatment they were subjected to was horrendous. Along with living in a new land where they couldn't speak the language or know the customs, and the terrible treatment, the worst part for the children was missing their loving parents and not being able to hear from them for months. Marco was 13 and promised his parents that he would protect his younger sisters but as time went on, it became more difficult to do but they got through their days and weeks with thoughts of returning to Spain and their parents.This was a beautiful book about family, tragedy, love, separation and the wish for a better future. This powerful book is about a time in history that is often unknown. We need to learn from our history to make sure that it isn't repeated in our future.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very emotional book. As I keep saying I’m not going to take any more WWII books – although this is separate from and only at the very beginning of the war – I still keep taking them. The stories told from the time period are so strong and so very involving. But these books devastate me. Hopefully this will be the last one, but knowing myself I doubt it.War as we all know is hell and civil war is a special level of hell. The war hasn’t quite started but the people are starting to choose sides and the rhetoric is flying fast and furious (hmmm.) Remember Me shares the story of the fictional Alcade family. They live in Madrid and when the parents fall on the side against Franco it’s no longer safe for the children. Fortunately Mexico has offered to take in the children of Spain to keep them safe until the war is over. The Alcades make the impossible decision to send their three young children to the city of Morelia where they can live until until the war ends. But it is not as simple as it seems.What follows is a harrowing tale of three children going on a trip to Mexico without their parents to a place they don’t know. It’s assumed it will be a better place but thanks to corruption the children enter a world of barely enough after coming from a world of comfort.This is not an easy book to read but what book about family separation is? Parents make hard decisions assuming they are the best for their children. Promises are made but not kept. After many years in Mexico the children are not Mexican nor are they really Spanish any more. They try to keep in touch with their parents but correspondence during the war is slow and uneven. Return trips to Spain after the war for answers only lead to heartbreak.This is a very powerful book. It was written originally in Spanish but the translation is smooth as silk, I never would have known it was not written in English. The descriptions of war are as horrible as you would expect but the relationships are beautifully drawn. I am glad I read for all the emotions it caused.

[mishker-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Marco, Ana and Isabel Alcande are all children as the Spanish Civil War infiltrates Madrid in 1937.  Their father fights tirelessly against the fascist regime in an attempt to save lives, their culture and freedom.  Their mother, an actress, helps the fighters when she can, but places her family's safety first.  When the fighting gets too close. their mother makes the heartbreaking decision to send Marco, Ana and Isabel to Mexico.  Known as the Children of Morelia, the siblings join a transport of other young refugees to venture to the unknown land of Mexico.  The children are placed in desperate situations, away from the dangers of war, but exploited in other ways.  Through it all, Marco keeps his promise to his mother to keep his sisters safe and remember his homeland and parents. With heartfelt compassion, Remember Me, tells the very important story of the Children of Morelia.  I did not really know anything about the Spanish Civil War before reading this and especially did not realize how the outcome bled into allegiances for Spain during World War II. The story is told from Marco's point of view and quickly drew me into the scene with the dangers in Spain and the uncertainty of Mexico.  Escobar deftly recreates the stories from many actual survivors of the Spanish Civil War and Children of Morelia into one smooth storyline.  Most of all, Marco's story conveyed the emotional toll on the families and children at this time.  From attempting to understand the world at war around them, to their parents decision to send them away, to the uncertainty on the ship and in Mexico, to the gradual understanding of the way of the world around them and the joy of reunion, each moment was captured with an amazing and expressive style.  Overall, a sincere story about a very difficult time in history and the people who survived it. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

[tamidale · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Spanish Civil War often seems overlooked due to the fact that it happened during the years between two World Wars. I have to admit, I don’t remember learning much about it during my school years. In this novel, Mario Escobar tells the story of a fictitious family and what they endure during the years of the civil war. It wasn’t only the families from World War II that sent their children away to safety. This was happening to the children in Spain also. Marco Alcalde and his two younger sisters were one such group of children that were sent out of harm’s way to Mexico to live in a children’s home.The story focuses on the hardships the children endured, while also giving an account of what was happening in Spain during the time they were away. As the war comes to an end, the children get impatient and decide to go back to Spain and find their parents. It’s at this point that I felt like the story really grabbed my interest. It seems as if when a war ends, the time immediately following is very precarious, and Spain was certainly an example of that.I felt like I learned much that I didn’t know about this time during Spanish history. I would recommend this to historical fiction and history readers. Readers should also be aware that there are some possible triggers, such as suicide, abuse and any other atrocities that commonly occur during war time.Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction, First Editions for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.