Leaving Atocha Station by Ben Lerner

Our recent trip to Madrid left me wanting more. We loved the Prado Museum. We enjoyed exploring the Barrio de las Letras. And we didn't come across a single tapa we didn't love. I'm still dreaming of the plate of little garlic shrimp from La Casa Del Abuelo. So, I came home wanting to read more books set in Madrid and found this one. "Leaving The Atocha Station" by Ben Lerner is a novel set in Madrid during 2004 but published in 2011. Lerner turns his pen on the main character Adam Gordan, a young American poet on a fellowship in Madrid. He is supposed to be researching the literary legacy of the Spanish Civil War. However, of course, he gets distracted by everything the city has to offer including museums, people and hard drugs like hash. His interest is in fitting in, or not fitting in, and that leads to comedy and amusing situations. When he witnesses the aftermath of the 2004 Madrid train bombing the narrative turns dark, and the fear of being an American abroad sets in. Both a comedy and a drama, "Leaving The Atocha Station" is a poetic meditation, and long slow walk through the vibrant city of Madrid.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.