A Literary Journey Through War, Silence and Memory
L’avi que detestava la llet revisits the Spanish Civil War and Francoist repression in the region of Solsonès, particularly in the municipality of Lladurs, Catalonia. Drawing on Franco-era military court records and family history, Ramon Cardona reconstructs a world marked by fear, survival and moral ambiguity.
The book follows intertwined family stories shaped by silences, half-truths and betrayals during both the war and the harsh post-war years. Far from a conventional historical account, the narrative combines documentary memory with literary imagination, portraying hidden lives, revenge and violence in rural Catalonia.
Milk — at times sweet, at times sour — becomes a symbolic thread throughout the work, adding a lyrical and unexpected layer to a story deeply rooted in historical trauma and memory recovery.
About the Author
Ramon Cardona Colell was born in Solsona, Catalonia (Spain), and is closely connected to the municipality of Verdú. A teacher of Greek and Latin and an archaeologist by vocation, he has devoted much of his literary career to exploring memory, language and the past.
He is the author of several poetry collections, including Tocat i enfonsat (Proa, 2019), awarded the Miquel de Palol Poetry Prize; Desig d’argila (Edicions Saldonar, 2016), winner of the Manuel Milà i Fontanals Poetry Prize; and Aversions (Edicions Saldonar, 2025), recipient of the Joan Perucho “Vila d’Ascó” Poetry Prize.