Broken Bowl Books
About the book: One Year and Three Months, by Luis García Montero, is a deeply moving poetic chronicle of love, illness, and mourning. Written during the final months of the life of his wife, the celebrated Spanish novelist Almudena Grandes, and in the period following her death, the collection traces an intimate journey through grief, memory, and devotion. Across these poems, García Montero reflects on the everyday realities of caring for a loved one during illness while confronting the emotional landscape of impending loss. Yet the book is not only about suffering; it is also about companionship, gratitude, and the enduring power of shared life. With clarity and emotional honesty, the poems transform personal mourning into a universal meditation on love and resilience. Masterfully translated by Katie King, One Year and Three Months stands as one of the most poignant works of García Montero’s career, revealing how poetry can give voice to grief while preserving the memory of a life deeply loved.
About the author: Luis García Montero (Granada, Spain, 1958) is one of the most prominent contemporary Spanish poets, as well as an essayist, novelist, and literary critic. Closely associated with the poetic movement known as the “poetry of experience,” his work is characterized by its accessible language, emotional clarity, and engagement with everyday life, history, and political reflection. García Montero has published numerous poetry collections that have received major literary awards, including the Premio Nacional de Poesía and the Premio Adonáis. In addition to his literary career, he has been an influential cultural voice in Spain and currently serves as the director of the Instituto Cervantes, promoting Spanish language and culture internationally.