La Feria del Libro en Madrid

Isa crossed Retiro Park to reach the fair, where the scent of new paper and roasted peppers mingled with the visitors' voices. She was looking for a thoughtful essay, and a bookseller accompanied her to a nearby tent to recommend several titles. The line seemed to take forever under the sun, but the wait was worthwhile: Isa bought an unusual novel about a protagonist who collects lost posters. In the next tent, an author was writing dedications. Isa confessed that if the pacing falls apart too late, she leaves the book unfinished. The author smiled, wrote a dedication for Isa, and read it aloud before handing the novel back to her. Isa put the novel and the essay in a reusable bag and decided to call her sister before dinner to tell her about the encounter. That night, she opened the signed novel and read the first chapter without checking the time.