We are slowly leading up to a day as special as Mother's Day, which this year is on the 5th of May. Funny enough, it is not a universal date; in Spain it is on the first Sunday in May, in China on the second and in France on the last. What is definitely international is the love and affection of the mothers who have always been there.
And what better way to thank them for all they have done than by returning the favour they did to us when they used to tell us stories. That is why, from Libros de las Malas Compañías We would like to share this day with you with different gift options for all the special mothers around us. We have a whole collection dedicated to them, inspiring women who make our house a home and our environment a support circle. In the book Maravillosas we follow in the footsteps of all those neighbourhood women who transformed what is now Malasaña, through constant struggle and sacrifice. One of these women was Emilia Pardo Bazán, a brilliant writer who loved and suffered Madrid, and of whom we have edited Cuentos madrileños. There are also adventurous women who decided to break away from traditional roles, as our twenty Viajeras atlánticas remind us, who have crossed the pond and who now return to guide us, advise us and look after us on our travels by means of an Illustrated Oracle. Even if it is not so much talked about, although there records of it, women have always travelled and we wanted to pay tribute to them with a book dedicated exclusively to Mujeres Viajeras en la Edad Media, who managed to get to know the world. In addition, we wanted to reserve a place for the artists from Mujeres de cine, who have left their mark on Spanish and international cinema.
Being a mother, apart from being a precious process, also entails a lot of care and dedication, which is why we want to revindicate their need for quality leisure time, so that they can disconnect from all the mental workload they have to deal with and enjoy time for themselves without worries. For those avid readers we have different suggestions to explore the world through the wise voice of the grandmothers. Los Cuentos prohibidos noruegos is an unique collection of stories, which, contrary to what one might think, are not for children, since they are historically hidden stories, with erotic allusions for which they were censored. La novia del mar y otros cuentos de las tribus árabes is a careful selection of short stories to read before bedtime with a similar style to The Thousand and One Nights. Another super interesting option is Madrid Marino, which speaks of the aquatic history of Madrid, that etymologically comes from matriz. La isla elefante reminds us of Shakleton's dangerous journey to Antarctica and the importance of looking out for each other along the way. Finally, we recommend Si tuviera que escribirte, a series of written postcards, that as the author herself describes, ‘is a conversation on the level of affections, sensibilities and dreams’.
In conclusion, no matter what day it is celebrated, Mother's Day is the perfect excuse to recognise their daily and often invisible work. Let's celebrate all mothers and all those people who act as mothers without being one.
