There are different types of loss. The loss of a best friend, of a lover, of a parent. Loss doesn’t necessarily mean death; a break up can hurt just as much. Loss is never too small, it’s always meaningful.

Elvira Sastre dives into this topic with her first novel, Días sin ti, released in 2019 with 262 pages. She parallelly writes about Gael, the main character, and Dora, his grandmother and co-main character. Dora loses her husband and Gael loses his lover. The main message of loss is displayed through the unique way it’s written, its historical context and poetic feel. 

In order to convey the message of the story, Sastre chooses a literary element that dominates through the entire book: flashbacks. She begins by telling one of the stories on present day, then she jumps back to the past when the character recalls something his grandmother told him. After, she dives into her story and, when the fragment is done, she returns to the present. Despite the constant parallel between both narratives, each individual story is told chronologically. Sastre´s writing style can be compared to Hector Abad Faciolince´s in La Oculta. He tells a simultaneous story of a brother and two sisters. Even if they are living in the same time period, he is constantly changing between the character’s point of view, and within them he also includes flashbacks. Consequently the timeline of the story can get confusing as opposed to Sastre´s, which is in chronological order.

Días sin ti is not an innovative tale, however, the way that it´s told sets it apart. To start off, the story is situated in Spain, but Dora´s story is set in the Spanish Revolution. This deeply affects the main character because her ideals opposed the beliefs of the dictatorship at the time, making their life a constant battle. This enriches the story because the general theme is overdone. Once again, It can be compared to La Oculta. Even if the story itself is  unique in comparison to Sastre´s, the historical context plays a crucial role in the lives of the characters and consequently in the tale. In La Oculta the siblings are affected by the violence of the 90s in Colombia. Basically it´s the story of the family and their finca , which is being invaded by La Guerilla. Again, the historical context affects both books and takes them a step further. In Sastre´s case it takes an overdone theme and gives it more detail, on Faciolince´s, it takes a unique theme and gives it an even more unique angle.

Sastre is well known for her poetry, and her talent to write said genre is reflected in the book. The book  is made for highlighting, much like Paulo Cohleo in The Alchemist. Sastre writes sentences that can perfectly be extracted out of the context of the book and still be appreciated. It can also be compared to The Alchemist because it can be interpreted as an allegorical novel. In Dias sin ti, the story of Dora is much more dynamic, in comparison to her grandson’s story, which is constantly reflecting on finding his purpose. In The Alchemist, Santiago goes through a journey that makes the story dynamic, and even if his reflections are much more left to interpretation, the text also tackles the dilemma of human being’s search for purpose. The mix of both stories in Sastre’s novel makes its work, as whole, dynamic, poetic, and fluid.

Días sin ti is a must-read, the way it’s written, the main theme, and the absurd prose are just a few of the reasons why I would recommend it. It’s a book full of reflections parallel to an interesting and engaging story. The poet inside of her is notorious, which is what makes it a unique and beautiful book. One could say the reason why it’s so short is that every single sentence is written so beautifully that it’s made to be appreciated.