Maria Dueñas reads from and discusses her new book, THE TIME IN BETWEEN

Set in Madrid, Tetuán, and Lisbon before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
through the Second World War, THE TIME IN BETWEEN follows the life of Sira
Quiroga. Born a poor seamstress in Madrid, Sira—after being abandoned in
Tangiers by her lover—forges a new identity and becomes the most sought-after
couturiere in North Africa, catering to the idle rich and the wealthy wives of
high ranking officials. Sira dreams only of paying off her debts and rescuing
her mother from war-torn Madrid, but soon finds herself embroiled in a world
of spies and counterspies. Her profession puts her in a perfect position to
garner classified intelligence, and then pass it along to the British Secret
Service through Morse Code secretly stitched into the patterns of her haute
couture dresses.
THE TIME IN BETWEEN sold 2.5 million copies in Spain, and is being
published for the first time in English in the United States on November 8,
2011 by Atria Books.
"A wonderful novel, in the good old tradition, with intrigue, love, mystery and tender, audacious and well-drawn characters." --Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize Laureate
“It's exciting to find a deftly paced first novel with an engaging heroine, satisfying historical detail, and emotional balance. Love it!” --Esmeralda Santiago New York Times bestselling author of Conquistadora and When I was Puerto Rican
"How can a novel be both cruel and tender, dark and luminous all at the same time, and keep the reader glued to its pages with a complex, captivating narrative? María Dueñas's novel manages to make this possible with a tale that is destined to become a literary classic." --Javier Sierra, bestselling author of The Secret Supper and The Lady in Blue
“The Time in Between is a magnificent novel that flawlessly brings together history and intrigue. Sira Quiroga – the seamtress – won’t be easily forgotten.” -- Juan Gómez-Jurado, author of The Moses Expedition
"Evocative, tender and lush; a wonderful experience of times and lives in turmoil." --Diana Gabaldon, author of the New York Times bestselling Outlander novels