Franco novel donated to library

Author and former Jávea mayor Enrique Bas has presented two copies of his novel set in the last days of the Franco dictatorship to the town’s library.

The donation will allow ‘Hasta Nunca, Mi General’ – ‘Until Never, My General’ – to be read by members of the public.

The story is set in 1974, the final stages of General Franco’s regime as the dictator suffered increasing ill health and blends fact with fiction. Set in the villages of the Marina Alta, it tells the story of Jesús, son of José and María, whose words and deeds drive people to believe he is the new Messiah.

It questions the fears and uncertainty of people living under the regime and raises hopes for properly constituted power.

Mr Bas, who met with Mayor Jose Chulvi and councillor for culture Quico Moragues, said he had only 12 copies of the book left from the original print run after the book was well received in the community.

And local historian Juan Bautista Codina Bas has given his two-volume research work ‘Anales de Xàbia’ to the growing town archive.

It had taken him 30 years to document the history of the town from existing Valencia and national sources. Councillor Moragues thanked the historian and said it provided 'valuable information' to the records which were available for consultation at the town archive in Calle d’Avail.