Almost thirty years have passed since Elvira Lindo created the character Manolito Gafotas, a figure who helped usher in a new era of children’s literature. While that character remains part of Lindo’s past, she shifted to adult fiction in 1998 and became one of the country’s most recognizable writers. In her latest novel, In the Wolf’s Mouth, Lindo guides readers through the life of Julieta, who arrives in a rural village at eleven and seeks a place to escape a trauma she can’t name.
Were you clear from the beginning that you wanted to tell this story?
The book grew from a landscape that felt intimately familiar. It imagines the world of a sparsely populated rural village that mirrors the author’s childhood and her mother’s homeland. It began as a mystery idea, since everyone carries some ghost of childhood and youth. For Lindo, the ghost she explored was personal, though she avoided pure autofiction.
And how did the idea of Julieta come about?
Julieta emerged from countless conversations with women who endured abuse in childhood. The narrative was crafted from pure humanity and friendship, centering on shared resilience.
There are many people who were abused in childhood. Is there enough discussion about it?
There is a growing willingness to talk openly about these experiences. The author believes the book could have reached a broader audience if the harsh reality of abuse had been foregrounded, yet what mattered most was portraying the long arc of trauma and giving voice to someone who struggled to express it.
Can the wound of abuse ever be healed?
Healing is not complete. Personal history shapes every step, and no one can fully fix the past. Still, it is possible to live with the pain and move toward a meaningful life. A crucial part of that process is having people who can talk openly about it without judgment, easing the path for those who carry the burden.
Julieta shares her space with Emma, a confident, free-spirited woman. How does that dynamic influence the story?
Emma is a pivotal voice in the book. Her presence introduces a contrast between a motherly, protective figure and a radical, forward-thinking woman who embodies a different era’s ideas about freedom and education. Julieta, coming from a small town, struggles to balance her longing for independence with the constraints of her environment.
This countryside setting becomes a stage for intergenerational conversation. Is that where the most revealing moments occur?
Yes. The novel features many intimate confessions. Emma shares her experiences while Julieta listens, sometimes with confusion because she carries wounds of her own. Each voice reflects a different life stage and a different time, reminding readers that sometimes listening is the most powerful act of connection.
Are the children portrayed as simply passive?
Children are heard in a distinctly attentive way. A highly sensitive or imaginative child may seem to harbor deep thoughts that adults dismiss as odd. The story suggests adults need to remember how children want to be heard, because misreading those signals can shape future generations in unintended ways.
Is the mother figure in Julieta’s world a typical protector, or does she sometimes intensify the trauma?
What the book shows is a pattern that occurs more often than expected. A mother who seems supportive can at times contribute to the trauma if the child does not receive the needed backing. When support is absent, the wounds can widen, underscoring the importance of listening and protection from those who should safeguard a child’s well-being.
Today, some mothers admit they do not want more children. Is that a taboo topic?
Care is essential. The author notes a generation where harsh words were common, but says if later generations have not heard those sentiments, it is because conversations now aim to avoid harming children. The impulse to speak freely exists, yet so does the responsibility to prevent trauma.
Is the impulse to contain difficult truths still present?
The era of suppression isn’t the reality now. People tend to speak up quickly, but such immediacy requires caution. Life stretches long, and what is said today can influence tomorrow, so thoughtful restraint matters just as much as honesty.