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    Guernica: A Novel
    Guernica: A Novel
    Guernica: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    Guernica: A Novel

    Written by Dave Boling

    Narrated by Lloyd James

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Calling to mind such timeless war-and-love classics as Corelli's Mandolin and The English Patient, Guernica is a transporting novel that thrums with the power of storytelling and is peopled with characters driven by grit and heart.

    In 1935, Miguel Navarro finds himself in conflict with the Spanish Civil Guard and flees the Basque fishing village of Lekeitio to make a new start in Guernica, the center of Basque culture and tradition. In the midst of this isolated bastion of democratic values, Miguel finds more than a new life-he finds someone to live for. Miren Ansotegui is a charismatic and graceful dancer who has her pick of the bachelors in Guernica, but she focuses only on the charming and mysterious Miguel. The two discover a love that war and tragedy cannot destroy.

    History and fiction merge seamlessly in this beautiful novel about the resilience of family, love, and tradition in the face of hardship. The bombing of Guernica was a devastating experiment in total warfare by the German Luftwaffe in the run-up to World War II. For the Basques, it was an attack on the soul of their ancient nation; for the world, it was an unprecedented crime against humanity. In his first novel, Boling reintroduces the event and paints his own picture of a people so strong, vibrant, and proud that they are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their values, their country, and their loved ones.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 16, 2008
    ISBN9781400178735
    Author

    Dave Boling

    Dave Boling is the author of Guernica, a top ten bestseller and winner of the Richard & Judy Summer Read 2009 and other international awards. A Chicago native, Dave Boling is a journalist in the Seattle area.

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    Reviews for Guernica

    4/5

    238 ratings45 reviews

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    • 5/5
      In this novel, we get a very powerful picture of the bombing of Guernica by the Luftwaffe just before WWII, Through the portrayal of various characters, we experience the devastating loss and the cost of innocent human life caught up on a warped political stage. Boling cleverly weaves the story in a way that brings the whole historical context together and in so doing imprints this act of war in our consciousness and in our souls. Real characters such as Picasso appear in the book to enable a wider historical context, but it is the fictional characters that you get to know initimately and they in turn represent all the hundreds of people who lost their lives and the remaining members of the community who were left to try and rebuild what was left of their lives and the town.We get a strong sense of the region from the characters in their work on land or at sea and in their traditional Basque family lives. I thought that the story was beautifully written, although initially I found the introduction of real characters jarring in the way that the passages were inserted, seemingly out of context. However, as the novel progressed, I thought that the technique served the story well.I loved the romance of the story and the humour. I found that I read a lot of it with a smile on my face and then in the aftermath of the bombing, with more than a few tears in my eyes.
    • 5/5
      This novel centers on events in the Basque town of Guernica in the years leading up to WWII. The historical perspective is genuine and the characters absolutely wonderful – they resonate with authenticity. The author portrays the villagers in Guernica as people that I would liked to have known; people full of life, daring, innocence and brave. I did not know much about the history of the Spanish civil war and reading this book motivated me to find out a lot more. It was thought-provoking and fascinating to learn about events that happened so long ago yet are very important not to forget. The tragic events that engulfed Guernica are heartbreakingly vivid. The imagery and description of Picasso’s process of creating the painting Guernica is an interesting addition to the novel and someone I know who has seen the painting told me it is enormous and impressive. (She happily has borrowed the book).I am pleased I had the chance to read and review this book - I might not have found it otherwise. It is an uplifting, wonderful novel by a gifted writer.
    • 2/5
      Guernica, Dave Boling’s first novel, is, as you might expect, about Guernica. From the outset, there is the faintest whiff of condescension toward Basques, as Boling’s language is inevitably simpler when writing their scenes as compared to those of other cultures. Maybe he is trying to give a sense of the language, but it comes across as condescension. Speaking of scenes, there aren’t many, in the traditional sense of the word. The prose is unfortunately journalistic—what you get is paragraphs, sometimes several pages (even whole chapters!) of reportage in which Boling’s voice is intrusively omnipresent. Characters do not have conversations; rather, Boling tells us something they said one time. He offers opinions and commentary in the narrative. As a result, the reader has no sense of engagement with the characters and the events of their lives in the here and now, no experience of plot and subplot unfolding through events, but reads with a sense of distance, of time long past and over with. As a result, what Boling has produced here is less a novel than a novel-length human interest article into which the reporter, à la Janet Cooke, has inserted some subjects of his own invention. On the other hand, Boling’s sense of place is phenomenal—he manages to weave in a great deal about the town and the culture without the reader feeling like she is attending a seminar on the Basque. Here is where Boling’s writing really shines: From reading his descriptions of the town, one feels like an old citizen who could slip back into the relationships and routines of Guernica as if one had never left. Bottom line, though, I couldn't finish it. I realize I'm in the minority here, but there you are.
    • 4/5
      A very interesting insight into Guernica and the tragedy they're known for. The dialogue and general writing style made this an easy read and the story remained complex and kept me very engaged as I followed the lives of his well developed group of characters. I do wish there had been more of a focus on the Spanish War and the historical aspects of that time period, but I enjoyed getting to know the characters and learning about the Basque traditions.
    • 1/5
      I had no idea what to expect when I started Guernica, which was almost exciting. It could be good, bad, forgettable, life-changing–who knows! Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. I learned a little something, but that was about it. Boling's writing falls horribly flat, lacking the subtlety of Hemingway, of whom it is obvious he is trying to mimic. While the story itself is tragic, Boling's characters lack substance and any kind of inward reflection. Plus, with the story stretched over dozens of years, one wonders who is supposed to be the main character. Who is the reader supposed to focus and sympathize with? Unfortunately, Boling doesn't know either. It's clear he likes his characters, but he likes them all too much: no one has flaws, and no one must confront any inner turmoil. And so while the historical details of the Spanish Civil War and World War II were interesting, that's all this book has going for it.
    • 3/5
      Nice book, but everyone in the book was just too nice to ring true. More than half of the book is spent wallowing in a perfect small group of families in an idealised small-town community. When the bombs arrived I wanted to scream 'nasty two-timing horrid people don't deserve to get torn apart either'. Well written, and well meaning. I think the first half was probably set up to provide contrast with war and make it more shocking when it came, but for me the first half made me want to get the second half over quick - having wallowed in sentiment I didn't want to wallow in blood and pain. Perhaps a book for those who do not yet know anything much about the Spanish Civil war.
    • 3/5
      Very readable, but definitely not 'epic' as suggested by the reviews on the cover. The sub-threads regarding Picasso and von Richthofen didn't really sit very well within the main story. A fascinating time and place in which to set a novel, although I felt that the historical context could have been explored in a lot more depth.
    • 3/5
      I thought this sounded an interesting story and I was looking forward to reading it. But it fell short for me. It is an interesting story but there were too many characters and I didn't feel any connection to them. So when the attack happens I didn't feel the emotional connection that I should have. The Spanish Civil War and its atrocities have been overshadowed by WW2 so we all know less than we should about it and if fiction can help then that is all to the good. I felt there was a good story here but this novel wasn't it.
    • 4/5
      I found this a moving and beautifully-written book. Set in the town of Guernica, during the Spanish Civil War it tells the story of a small group of people connected by family, marriage and friendship. There is a great sense of place, conveyed through the landscape and the richness of the Basque culture. Although historical people play a part in the story, the complicated politics of the war are not examined in detail, rather, Boling concentrates on the effects that the consequent suspicion, violence and hardship have on his central characters. It is not generally a sentimental book, although it did bring me to tears at times. However, I thought that the ending was the weakest part of the book, because there it did stray into sentimentality.
    • 3/5
      This book has actually taken me months to read - I started it, stopped, started, stopped until I finally made myself read on. It's a slow burner and the start of the book is hard to get into but once you are past that section it actually becomes pretty easy to read. The book is based in the Basque town of Guernica prior, during and after the horrifying attack that inspired the Picasso painting.

      The book is effectively in 3 sections with a variety of characters all centred around the one family. It's a nice enough story - some parts of it work and some parts of it don't and the characterisation doesn't always work. I loved the central character of Miren and Miguel and their love story is probably the only reason I cared about the characters. Other characters were somewhat irrelevant and under-developed, such as Miren's best friend who grew up in a convent, was blind, made soaps and serviced the town as a prostitute before, bizarrely, despite being self-sufficient throughout becomes the character that 'needs looking after' contrary to what we'd seen before.

      As a commentary about what happened, and the way the bombing is described, it definitely works well but at the same time I can't help but wonder if it would have been more involving if the cast list was smaller and without the random insets involving real life people where the author interrupted the flow of the story by giving us a paragraph or two from the real-life players involved. The 'twist' at the end wasn't necessary, and although I understand the need of providing a happily ever after, I can't help but wonder if it couldn't have been achieved in a less obvious way.

      I will say, I found the scene where Miguel is trying to save his family and ends up damaging his hands to such a level where he has to have his fingers amputated was the one thing that really got me in the book. It wasn't overblown, it wasn't over-dramatic - it was just one man's desperate, blinkered desire to save his family and in that regard, it was something that did cause the reaction that I think the rest of the book lacked.

      Worth a read, and definitely worth persevering with beyond the stodgy opening.
    • 5/5
      This is definitely one of my favorite books that I have read recently. The story is about the country of Basque during World War II. He gave a great story of the country's history, culture and resilience.
    • 4/5
      The story of what happened in Guernica during WW2, and how this is reflected in the painting by Picasso. The book gave a great deal of background about Basque culture and psyche, and how the conflict came about. I also understood more about the painting when I had read the book.
    • 1/5
      I´ve only added this to my list in order to say that Dave Boling´s use of the English language is quite the worst I´ve ever come across. Had I not been determined to finish the book because it's my Reading Group title this month, I would have put it down at about page 30. Here are some of his many execrable sentences. The decay of will is an act of consideration.That didn´t stop Justo from operatically scapegoating the livestock whenever he committed an indiscretion of the bowels.On cows – Had it been their nature to reflect and expand, there would have been the genesis moments of bovine religious movements.His feral brows hung over his eyes like a pair of awnings, and the moustache that hyphenated his face was prodigious in three dimensions.The bodies of several dozen people rose intact to varied elevations before sprouting like chrysanthemum blossoms.
    • 2/5
      Guernica, Dave Boling’s first novel, is, as you might expect, about Guernica. From the outset, there is the faintest whiff of condescension toward Basques, as Boling’s language is inevitably simpler when writing their scenes as compared to those of other cultures. Maybe he is trying to give a sense of the language, but it comes across as condescension. Speaking of scenes, there aren’t many, in the traditional sense of the word. The prose is unfortunately journalistic—what you get is paragraphs, sometimes several pages (even whole chapters!) of reportage in which Boling’s voice is intrusively omnipresent. Characters do not have conversations; rather, Boling tells us something they said one time. He offers opinions and commentary in the narrative. As a result, the reader has no sense of engagement with the characters and the events of their lives in the here and now, no experience of plot and subplot unfolding through events, but reads with a sense of distance, of time long past and over with. As a result, what Boling has produced here is less a novel than a novel-length human interest article into which the reporter, à la Janet Cooke, has inserted some subjects of his own invention. On the other hand, Boling’s sense of place is phenomenal—he manages to weave in a great deal about the town and the culture without the reader feeling like she is attending a seminar on the Basque. Here is where Boling’s writing really shines: From reading his descriptions of the town, one feels like an old citizen who could slip back into the relationships and routines of Guernica as if one had never left. Bottom line, though, I couldn't finish it. I realize I'm in the minority here, but there you are.
    • 3/5
      Great book will keep you hooked till the end
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book, was aware of the history but this story bought it to life. Its a tale of the struggles in the war. I liked the book very much through the first 3/4s of it. It did a really good job of not being over sentimental about some very difficult topics - and i liked it for that. Unfortunately I found the end too sentimental. It was as if the author had wanted a 'happy ending' of sorts. I think it would have read better with an ending more in line with the rest of the book.However - all this said, i would recommend this as a read.
    • 3/5
      This was a satisfying read, but not a book I would put on my 'I want to read this again in a year' list.
    • 4/5
      Justo, Minangeles, Miren and Miguel, Spain just before WW2
    • 4/5
      I received this as an ARC book, and read it over the past 5 days. An historical novel about the Basque town of Guernica before and after it was bombed in April, 1937, it skilfully weaves together historical and fictional characters into one novel.Since I did not know much about the Spanish Civil War, Franco, or the Basque country, I appreciated the inclusion of a map, pronunciation guide, and author's list of internet resources and recommended fiction and non-fiction books. I did feel that the characters were a little one-sided -- particularly the Basque citizens who were all completely noble, pure, and warm-hearted or else members of the enemy. On the other hand, because all of the main characters were so likable, I was easily swept into their story, and eager to find out what happened to them.I appreciated the more complex, but relatively minor character of Charley Swan, who had to reconcile his desire for peace with his fascination for flying and motivation to fight in the war. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and found that I liked it more the further into it I read. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, and who is interested in the Basque region of Spain, the Spanish Civil War, and WWII.
    • 4/5
      This book was full of historical information that the people of Guernica experienced during the time of the Spanish Civil War. The outcome of this war helped the Gestapo earn an advantage over the Spanish countryside, which gave the Nazi regime more power to accomplish their tasks during WWII. There were many interesting characters in this novel, including a couple names that you might remember like Picasso and the Red Baron.The book opens in the village of Guernica, which gives you a good taste of the traditions of the Basque culture. Justo is one of the main characters in the novel and lives on a farm with his parents and younger brothers. Before too long Justo finds himself in a parental position on the farm, having to manage the farm and take care of his younger brothers. Since Justo has been working so hard on the farm since a young age, he becomes quite muscular as a young man is known as the strongest man in town.One of my favorite parts of this novel was when Justo becomes enamored with Mariangeles. You knew it just had to be love for her to still fall in love with this man, considering how he must have looked most of the time. Since Justo spent most of his time working on the farm he really didn't put much consideration into his appearance. The two eventually marry and have one daughter whom they name Miren. Since his brothers have grown up and moved on with their lives, they reside on the farm and raise their daughter together. Miren grows into a very confident young lady and seems to me to be the light of the town. Whenever there is a party or a dance, Miren seems to be the star and everyone wants to be around her. Not only does her beauty and her air of excitement jump off the page, but also her compassion. When she was just a young girl she happened to be in the convent one day and noticed a young orphaned girl that lived there and was being raised by the nuns. At that time she took young Alaia under her wing and befriended her and their friendship grew into a sisterly love.So much happens within this story that tells you what life was like both before and during the war. You can feel the tension building up as you are reading, because you know the bombing of Guernica is coming. And the result of this bombing was devastating to all that were present. Boling gave me such an intense visual of what it must have been like for these people that I had tears in my eyes at one point. Getting the opportunity see a peice of the characters lives and then to experience the horror of the attack was heart-wrenching.After the bombing of Guernica we get a glimpse of what it was like for the citizens to go on with their lives, some with and others without their loved ones. Life changes drastically as they find themselves having to ration food moreso than they already have and occurences with the Gestapo seem to become routine. Citizens try to hide their livestock and if they happen to butcher an animal they can only hope that the Gestapo does not learn of it or they may come and confiscate all of the meat that is so greatly needed. This one event was the inspiration for Picasso's famous work of art titled Guernica. I think I have seen pictures of this painting but really did not look into the story or significance behind this work of art. I found myself enjoying this story more than I thought I would, as I stayed up later than usual a couple of evenings just to get a little extra reading in. To help you have a better understanding of the book, Boling includes a map of the territory and also a pronunciation guide. From the pronunciation guide I found the proper way to pronounce Guernica is as follows: gare-KNEE-ka. I was pronouncing it totally wrong before I looked at this. This book was about love, traditions, war, recovery and many other things that become evident as you are reading. I loved how this story brought us into the lives of a family that found a way to reach into their inner depths to go on with their lives after encountering such a tramatic event. I have no hesitation with recommending this book. I feel that I should warn you that the bombing segment was very intense in emotional and some readers may find that part a bit too much. There is also a reading group guide included so I think book clubs would have very interesting discussions.
    • 5/5
      This isn't a book I would normally read, not my genre. Having said that, I was drawn into the story in the first page, wanting to learn more about Justo with the one arm. Brilliantly written. At times, I had a tear in my eye, or a chuckle, or an outright laugh at the antics. Boling has written a story that conveys the tragedy that occurred, but also raised hopes that things can, over time, get better, that a people can be resilient. I would not be surprised if this becomes a mini-series or movie. I would definitely go to see it.
    • 4/5
      Guernica follows the lives of two Basque families and their neighbors before, during and after the bombing of Guernica by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso also plays a small part with his famous "Guernica" painting, covering the horror of the bombing. The story starts out a bit slow and sometimes it seems a bit scattered as it moves around from character to character. In my opinion, it would have been a tighter story if the author had focused on fewer characters. Some characters, such as Justo, the patriarch of the story, are more interesting than others. The author really makes the location and time come alive. Highly recommended for people interested in Basque culture and history or the Spanish Civil War. Others may find it a bit slow.
    • 2/5
      This wasn't a book that appealed to me initially, when Richard & Judy announced their last set of book club reads. But I changed my mind after looking at the book, as I thought it sounded like an interesting story of family and war, and looked reasonably easy to read. However, the first part was very slow, introducing a large cast of characters and skipping through their lives very quickly to cover a 30 year period in little depth. Eventually we got to the crux of the story, the bombing of Guernica, but by that time I cared little for the story or the characters, and what should have been a momentous event in the book seemed dulled somehow. By that stage I had started to skim read the story. The problem for me with this book is that the author doesn't inject a great deal of emotion into the story, and tries to give too much information and introduces too many characters in the first part of the book. It does end very well though, and I thought the ending was a nice touch.
    • 4/5
      Guernica is a historical novel, based on the bombing of the Basque capital of Guennica during the Spanish Civil War. Ever since reading Mark Kurlansky's non-fiction Basque History of the World, I have become increasingly interested in this part of the world.Dave Boling has written a story of the Ansotegui and Navarro families, following them from childhood through adulthood, jobs, marriages and the fateful carpet bombing of their capital city.I read well over 100 books a year about a wide range of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction. And this one brought tears to my eyes more than once. Yet, the characters are a bit too perfect. Sometimes I felt like I was watching a Disney movie. So, why did this book draw me in and make me care so much about these people? It was Mr. Boling's writing style. His characters and their feelings are revealed, not explained. Reading this story was like getting to know people over time. Absolutely wonderful writing. I hope Mr. Boling writes another book soon.
    • 3/5
      A historical novel centred on the carpet bombing of Guernica (the ancient capital of the Basques) by the Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War. The bombing was a truly significant historical event, the first time the dreadful tactics of attempting to platten an entire area were used in war - and by a supposed non-combatant. Boling brings out the horror of the bombing very well and has made you care sufficiently for the characters that you share some of their distress and misery. Unfortunately the rest of the book does not match the quality of this section. I had the feeling throughout that it was written very specifically for the book club market and there is a "writing by numbers" kind of a feel for it. There's the quaint Basque traditions, robust peasants, short interludes about Picasso and the commander of the Luftwaffe (a very cliched and unconvincing Prussian officer), a love story or two and intertwining narratives. It's very much as if the publishers had told Boling to do a Captain Correlli set somewhere else - it certainly adheres to that formula like glue. The narrative is reasonably enjoyable although Boling tries to do too much, with half a dozen stories and at least 8 major characters in a small-medium sized book. The real let down is the characters. Every main character is near perfect, albeit in different ways. Even if they are allowed a slight charcter flaw (one is a bit impetous) this is ultimately endearing. Boling wants his readers to see the Basques as an idyllic rural people, unsullied by modern civilisation but robust in their traditions. I know the Basques well - as a group, they have many fine qualities (their food is the best in Europe) and many poor ones (their pride in their heritage comes close to xenophobia if not downright racism) but they are certainly not as presented here. The attempt to link the story to Picasso's painting doesn't really work either, although it might have had a better chance if the painting was reproduced somewhere. I assume that a deal couldn't be reached on the copyright, which is a shame. Boling obviously has talent and has written a first novel that could sell very well if latched on to by book groups. I wish it hadn't been written with that it mind, but perhaps I am being as idealistic as those Basques.
    • 4/5
      Boling's first novel is the historical recreation of the attack on Guernica in the Basque region of Spain. The novel develops at a slow, pleasant pace as we are introduced to the Ansotegui family. The women are beautiful, the men are strong. My only complaint is that Boling is overbearingly sentimental in exhorting the reader to care about these people before the tragedy of the German bombings devastates their lives. My favorite parts were of Picasso's commission to paint the famous mural as a remembrance of the terrible atrocities. "One officer who considered himself culturally advanced approached the artist as he sipped his coffee at a table beneath the green sidewalk awning. The officer held a reproduction of the mural Guernica, barely larger than postcard size. "Pardon me," he said, holding the card out. "you did this, didn't you?" Picasso put his cup delicately onto its saucer, turned to the picture and then to the officer, and responded, "No, You did."
    • 5/5
      Guernica is a riveting story that details the lives of the Ansotegui and Navarro families before, during, and after the bombing by the German Luftwaffe. After the death of his mother, Justo Ansotegui's father recedes with grief and eventually disappears leaving his eldest son in charge. He takes on the responsibility of care for his two younger brothers along with the family property Erottabari with no one to guide him. The brothers are creative in their management of the farm using games and pranks to make the most mundane chores fun. This is the setting in which the story begins, in the heart of the Pays Basque region of Spain. I really loved following Justo's story and found myself in tears a couple of times. I knew next to nothing of the Basque people and their traditions prior to reading this, let alone the climate of the country surrounding the bombing. I found myself looking online for more details about events and will probably look for more books in the future about the Basque people. I received this book through the LTER program and loved every bit of it.
    • 4/5
      I had not heard of Guernica; either the painting, the town or the history, before I received this book. When I looked it up, I was afraid I was in for a very "down" read. I was pleasantly surprised then, when the book didn't end at the disaster, but moved the characters on. Just like in life, they were changed, but still moving on.The author has a gift for writing real and lovable characters. I was so enchanted with the way he told this story. When he describes lovemaking, he doesn't go into needless and titillating details, but lets you feel the heart of things. Also, with the horror and violence, by not describing in exhaustive detail, he allows you to find your own emotions rather than feeling you are being manipulated. I truly enjoyed this book, which seems a very odd thing to say about a book on this subject. I knew nothing about this section of history, and now I feel that I've been there. Hopefully, Dave Boling has more stories within him to tell, because I would be happy to enter into another world of his creation.
    • 5/5
      It took me a while to get into this book, but in the end I couldn't put it down.The book centers around several Basque characters, spanning a time from the late 1800s through 1940, with the book mostly focusing on the period of the Spanish Civil War. The major characters were fleshed out so well that I felt I knew them, while other minor characters were more 2-dimensional. Boling did such an amazing job of characterizing Justo and Miren that I feel like I could pick them out of a crowd now.I knew the big event that was going to happen (although, I admit I was pretty ignorant going in) but was still horrified. I had to stop in the middle to find an image of Picasso's famous painting. This book is definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
    • 4/5
      When I was in high school, I had the fortune and misfortune of seeing Picasso's Guernica at the Prado museum in Madrid. Fortune because I have seen one of the greatest masterpieces of art ever created. Misfortune because I was too young to fully appreciate what I was seeing. Yet, of that entire visit to the Prado, Guernica is the only painting I remember - vividly. It disturbed me and stayed with me, though I hardly knew why.It seems no surprise then that years later I would finally find a book to put that painting into its horrific context. What was surprising was learning so much about a place and its people that I'd never even considered before. The horrors of war are universal. The people, their culture and the land that is devastated by a single war are not. The author Dave Boling brings these truths together beautifully in "Guernica." I find myself now wanting to read more about the region, particularly in the years following the war. I want to learn more about these proud people who withstood so much.The book started off a bit slow for me with so many characters, regions and towns to introduce. I was impatient to understand the significance of it all. However, once the story started moving I could hardly put it down for the suspense. One aspect I really appreciated was the depth of the main male characters, with all of their strengths, machismo, and frailties fully exposed. The female characters were a bit more uni-dimensional, but nonetheless served the purpose of "softening" the story. I almost laughed out loud when I read the following passage: "His slender wife approached pregnancy as she did all other endeavors, unsparingly and witih an energy that infected those around her... If pregnancy rendered some women too ill or uneasy to be intimate, it had an opposite effect on Miren, who became increasingly libidinous." I thought to myself, "Now there's a MAN'S fantasy about what pregnant women are like!" Maybe some of them are, too. Just not myself or any of the dozens of other women I've known who've been pregnant. But I digress. Guernica is an impeccably researched, epic story about a place and time memorialized by Picasso, but still misunderstood by many, myself included. Boling's story will hopefully go a long way toward correcting that discrepancy. An easy four stars.