La vida no regalada

La vida no regalada is a non-fiction novel that narrates the evolution of Spain from the last years of the Dictatorship to the Transition, through the life of its protagonist, Lorenzo Almendro; the day-to-day life of a child from a town in Jaén who emigrates with his parents to Barcelona during the 1960s and settled in the Verdún neighborhood. Through the protagonist, Lorenzo, an endearing transcript of Luis Cabrera himself, we witness the reality of those years in a working-class neighborhood where immigrants from many parts of Spain live with Catalan-speaking families. The discovery of Catalan, the opposing gangs, the social work houses, the parents working in the metallurgical or textile factories, the popular festivals, the first political flirtations, the distribution of leaflets, the creation of regional houses and flamenco clubs... From the most amateur beginnings and the first contacts with flamenco to the professional relationship and friendship with such prominent figures as Enrique Morente, Camarón, Tete Montoliu, Mayte Martín or Miguel Poveda, the life of Lorenzo Almendro, that is, by Luis Cabrera, makes us participate in a time of revolt and discovery full of music, ideals and talent.