A Distant Thunder

In a terrific debut that far transcends the conventional format of romantic sagas, British writer de Luca vividly portrays the seething tangle of the Spanish Civil War. Packed off to London to forget an unworthy fiance, Dolly Carrasquez, the spunky half-English daughter of a growling Spanish landowner, steals the callous heart of Jack Curtis, a street-savvy lad muscling his way into a career in journalism. Dolly runs off to Spain to marry her soldier beau Lorenzo, taking with her a legacy from Jack. As the Fascists advance on positions held by a motley corps of anarchists, Communists and other assorted Republicans, Lorenzo is killed and Dolly is bound by her own necessary treachery to a good-hearted though ham-fisted laborer named Tomas Garcia. All the while, Jack hasn't forgotten her, nor she him. De Luca skillfully conjures a dramatic slice of history, spicing it further with delicious irony, romance and sharp-witted, complex characters that more than excuse a few too many coincidences. (Jan.)