El Barranco

Beautifully written poignant love story; Eduardo and Rosanna trying to begin a new life in Spain. Connected by a love of Argentine Tango; story of contrasts, England and Spain, masculine and feminine. Full of vibrant colour, adventure and emotion. Rosanna has just survived a broken relationship and meets an attractive, Spanish man on New Years Eve at an Argentine tango dance. He immediately starts to take over her life and she is totally captivated, but although he is charming and fascinating she quickly becomes aware of strange personality traits and controlling behaviour. Almost from the beginning she tries to appease and rationalize his attitude and actions and also to understand his obsession and difficulties dancing Argentine tango; becoming increasingly anxious and confused, especially in relation to his attitude to her children. Eduardo has a little cabin in a beautiful, mountainous area outside Madrid that he built himself. It is next to a large, expansive lake with mountains all around, situated behind two large, metal gates, along a slightly rising path lined with fir trees that were planted by Eduardo. Rosanna soon understands that El Barranco means everything to Eduardo and on her first visit becomes aware of a terrible tragedy that occurred there that Eduardo has kept from her. When Eduardo proposes, Rosanna agrees to move to Spain with him although she is torn in half at the thought of leaving her children. She tells herself that Eduardo will be happier and more relaxed in his own country and comforts herself with the thought that they will visit frequently and all spend happy times together, especially at El Barranco. She then begins an exiting and exhilarating but in many ways tortuous and frightening life in a foreign country with a strange and difficult man, at first unable to speak the language; always trying to understand and please him whilst trying to preserve her own personality and identity. This is a sometimes sad, romantic and sensitive story revealing the beauty of nature and a captivating glimpse of the real Spain. It demonstrates the emotional and psychological difficulties of love and male and female relationships and the pain and torment these can cause. The world and beauty of Argentine tango are also always present in their lives, both as a comfort and anxiety. Full of vibrant colour and adventure there is a strong sense of possibly, unfounded optimism throughout in their actions and the belief that the future will be better.