The Heart Has Its Reasons: A Novel

Brief Description: "Previously published as Mision Olvido in 2012 in Spain by Editorial Planeta"--Title page verso. Brief Description: "Previously published as Mision olvido in 2012 in Spain by Editorial Planeta"--Title page verso. Brief Description: "A talented college professor in Madrid, Blanca Perea seems to have it all. But her world is suddenly shattered when her husband of twenty years leaves her for another woman. Questioning the life she once had and whether she truly knows herself, Blanca resolves to change her surroundings. She accepts what looks like a boring research grant in California involving an exiled Spanish writer who died decades ago. Anxious to leave her own troubled life behind, she is gradually drawn into his haunted world, with its poignant loves and unfulfilled ambitions"--Amazon.com. Publisher Marketing: Declared "a writer to watch" ("Publishers Weekly," starred review), "New York Times "bestselling author Maria Duenas pours heart and soul into this story of a woman who discovers the power of second chances. A talented college professor in Madrid, Blanca Perea seems to have it all. But her world is suddenly shattered when her husband of twenty years leaves her for another woman. Questioning the life she once had and whether she truly knows herself, Blanca resolves to change her surroundings. She accepts what looks like a boring research grant in California involving an exiled Spanish writer who died decades ago. Anxious to leave her own troubled life behind, she is gradually drawn into his haunted world, with its poignant loves and unfulfilled ambitions. But in delving into the past, Blanca finds herself simultaneously awakened to the present by Daniel Carter, a charismatic professor with crucial knowledge about the dead writer that he has never before revealed. Amid this web of passion, conflict, and hidden feelings, including her own, Blanca advances like an avid detective, refusing to quit, and ultimately discovers startling answers that resonate deeply in her own life. Evocative, lyrical, and humorous, "The Heart Has Its Reasons "is a journey of the soul from the pangs of the past to the vibrant present. It is a story about the thrill of creating one's life anew. Review Citations:

Publishers Weekly 09/29/2014 pg. 75 (EAN 9781476796291, Paperback)

Booklist 10/15/2014 pg. 16 (EAN 9781451668360, Open Ebook)

Library Journal Prepub Alert 06/01/2014 pg. 70 (EAN 9781451668339, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 09/29/2014 (EAN 9781451668339, Hardcover)

Booklist 10/15/2014 pg. 16 (EAN 9781451668339, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2014 (EAN 9781451668339, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Duenas, Maria Maria Duenas is the author of the "New York Times "and internationally bestselling novel "The Time In Between", which was translated into twenty-five languages and inspired a successful television series under the same title, as well as the highly acclaimed "The Heart Has Its Reasons". She holds a PhD in English philology and is currently a professor at the University of Murcia. Duenas has also taught at American universities, authored several academic articles, and has participated in various educational, cultural, and editorial projects. She lives in Murcia, Spain.