Juanita La Larga

Juanita La Larga (1896), the third of Juan Valera's eponymousnovels with a female protagonist, unfolds in a small town innineteenth-century Spain and tells the story of a young girl's romancewith a wealthy widower many years her senior. In addition to theirsubstantial difference in years and class, the lovers must contendwith the indignation of his imperious married daughter, the publicrebuke of a churchman, and the strictures of society. As the novelopens, readers are introduced to Juanita in the exuberance of youth.We witness her maturation into a young woman and along the waywe watch as she learns to deal with humiliation, anger, jealousy, anda pride that makes for bittersweet moments.