The Girl of the Braids: A True Story by Pepita Rodrigo
Enjoy a free download of this lovely autobiographical account of a young girl growing up in post-World War II Catalonia. In The Girl of the Braids, Pepita Rodrigo recounts her most poignant childhood experiences, and they read more beautifully than any fairy tale ever written.
Below, you’re going to find a story which you can download and read. For free. It’s a true story, autobiographical in nature, about a little girl growing up in Catalonia in the years following the end of World War II. This story is not a bestseller, nor is its writer a best-selling author. It is a simple tale, originally written in the 1200 year-old Romance language of Catalan, and translated (not always effectively, and through no fault whatsoever of the author’s), by a notoriously inaccurate language translation algorithm. But this story’s lack of renown and translational efficacy belies its simple beauty and engrossing power. It is the elegiac recounting of a young life blossoming in one of western civilization’s most venerable and beautiful lands. This story is simultaneously plaintive and joyful. It reflects the author’s love for her ancient homeland, and the pride of place her forebears maintain, always, within her heart. It is impossible, in spite of the less than perfect translational rendering (again, this is solely an algorithmic issue), to not be moved by the author’s feelings. The contents of her heart transcend the limitations of the medium. And Pepita Rodrigo does indeed write this story from her heart.
I first met Pepita Rodrigo, in a manner of speaking, on Twitter. The beauty of Jack Dorsey and company’s brainchild is its ability to compel its users to keep things short and sweet. A happy result of this communicational imperative was my discovery of, and immediate attraction to, the tweeted missives of Pepita Rodrigo. Each of her tweets acted upon me as if it were a memory. Or a scent, or a skipped heatbeat. And it was my fascination with, and appreciation of, these arresting, sparsely-yet-strikingly-worded, thoughtfully photographed gems, which ultimately led to my friendship with Ms. Rodrigo.
The friendship I developed with Pepita Rodrigo, and the frequent communications between us, merely confirmed what her tweets had already told me about her. Here was a soul literally brimming with compassion, gentleness, love, and kindness… a human being hopelessly in love with the land of her birth, and with her family, both living and gone.
You are what you tweet.
Meet the Girl of the Braids
Below are the links to The Girl of the Braids, chapter by chapter, in its entirety. Please enjoy these free downloads. Despite the issues with the translation, I believe you’ll quickly pick up the rhythm and the cadence of the prose. Experience the almost imperceptible transformation of what initially seems halting and dissonant into the most gentle of poetic lilts, as the essence of this simple tale eclipses all else. Read this story. Enjoy Pepita Rodrigo’s beautiful homeland. Meet her parents, her ancestors, her pets, and her friends. Meet her first love. Look past the translator’s deficiencies and see into the author’s thoughts, and into her heart. This is a most poignant remembrance which I believe you’ll find impossible to forget.
The Girl of the Braids
Pepita Rodrigo
Below are some photos, taken by Ms. Rodrigo, in various locations throughout Spain, and Catalonia itself. Each of these photos accompanies one of her Twitter tweets. Also below are pictures of Ms. Rodrigo’s family. Rodrigo takes all of her photos while walking throughout, and being inspired by, her beloved Catalonia and greater Spain. A photographic subject – an architectural element, an arboreal vista, a beautiful flower – catches her eye and inflames her heart. And she takes a picture and tells of her feelings. She addresses her Twitter audience as “Dear Ones.” She offers each of her tweets as a gift. Every one of them is an act of kindness. Of benevolence. It is in this way that she tantalises the sesitivities of people across oceans and continents, by virtue of a simple tweet. It is in this way that one becomes enraptured by Pepita Rodrigo.
Ms. Rodrigo’s tweets hooked me. They, ultimately, are responsible for my discovery of The Girl of the Braids.
The sensitive little girl who is The Girl of the Braids, has since grown to become the most eloquent of adult storytellers. The tale itself, which you’re downloading here, and the idyllic micro-vignettes which are her Twitter signature, are beautifully simple, and simply beautiful. If you want to know what lies within Pepita Rodrigo’s heart, look no further than this little book, and Twitter.
To enjoy her tweets, follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pipapipia.
Pepita Rodrigo lives in Barcelona with her husband Toni, and her little rescue cat, Nona.
My dear readers and subscribers, thanks for tuning in. And as always, Cheers, and Happy Gardening!
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Pepita’s words and pictures are a window into her soul. Your kind and thoughtful words show us you understand and share those same wonderful qualities. Keep writing about the people you meet, books you read and the joys of gardening. You remind each of us that it is a wonderful world!
Thank you, Kevin, for your incredibly kind words. I’m so glad you liked reading about Pepita Rodrigo and her lovely land. I believe you’ll enjoy her book. Your truly kind interest and appreciation of my efforts means so much to me. Once again, thank you.
Thank you, John, for your words. Everything you have written about the book and about my mother is wonderful.
It’s a privilege to know so much about my mother’s childhood because it helps me build who I am and my story.
For me, the book is beautiful for the details, for the feelings expressed, it made me laugh and cry and I read it several times because I always discover new things.
I’ve been lucky to visit the villages, to see the houses and to meet friends that are told in the book and it’s been so interesting!
I feel privileged and grateful for having parents like them. My mother is love and I am very lucky to have her.
Thank you, very much and good read!
Gràcies John per les teves paraules. És preciós tot el que has escrit sobre el llibre i sobre la meva mare.
És un privilegi poder saber amb tant detall la infantesa de la meva mare perquè això m’ajuda a construir qui soc jo i la meva història.
Per mi, el llibre és preciós pels seus detalls, pels sentiments expressats, em va fer riure i plorar i l’he llegit més d’una vegada perquè sempre descobreixo coses noves.
He tingut la sort de conèixer els pobles, les cases i els amics que s’expliquen al llibre i ha estat tant interessant!
Em sento privilegiada i dono les gràcies de tenir uns pares com ells. La meva mare és amor i tinc molta sort de tenir-la.
Moltes gràcies i bona lectura!
Thank you so much, Débora, for your lovely thoughts and kind comments. Your mom is indeed all about love and kindness. You truly honor her with your beautiful words. And I am very honored that you are happy with my article. It’s been a pleasure learning about you, Abigail, Naomi, Toni, and Nona from your dear mother, and it’s my total pleasure corresponding with you now. Many thanks!
Her photos are beautiful. Seeing the one photo of the window box empty without flowers ( no life). Then the one with beautiful flowers ( life). Put me into deep thought about if anyone lived in the one with no life. How I wanted to plant flowers in that box!! My tablet won’t let me download ( it’s old ). But I will ask the library to look into getting that book! Thank you John!
I was really moved by those pictures, as well, Sharon. The story is really lovely and simple. I’m sorry that your device is not allowing you to download the book. If you’d like, I could email you the chapters. You can then open each document and read it.
You are such a beautiful person with such a beautiful soul and your stories, the way you write, explain, the images everything is a delight to the reader ❤️ I love this story and Spain is one place I dream of ….. you brought out the essence the beauty of the place and Pepita Rodrigo beautiful personality…can’t wait to start reading this book !!!
The photos are amazing too …….
You are awesome 👏👏👏❤️🌹🙏
Oh wow, Roxxy, I’m so glad you liked my part of the offering. You are so incredibly kind. I believe, in spite of the translation hiccups, that you will love Pepita’s very simple and heartfelt recounting of her girlhood in this lovely place. Thanks once again. I truly, truly appreciate your kindness and your interest.
I love how you appreciate the small things and your sensitive soul.
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughts, Everly. They mean a great deal to me. This simple story is hard not to love.
I am going to read this today! It is such a beautiful introduction, thank you for bringing it to our attention.
I’m so glad to be able to get this story out to more readers. It’s a simple and beautiful story which I’m certain you’ll enjoy.