The Paola Mena story is interesting enough on its own merits; the story of a young girl who falls in love with a young man from her family and subsequently marries him. The interesting part of the story though, revolves around her status as a worker for the Spanish National Teachers’ Union (RNU) before she marries a younger Spanish national and becomes eligible to vote. That puts her in the unusual situation of not only being married but also working for the Spanish National Teachers’ Union. There is intrigue there as it is usually not the norm for people to be married before they reach the age of majority and then eligible to vote. However, as the story progresses we come to understand how the union of the young Paola and the older man came about and what kind of life they led together. Throughout, it is shown that Mena’s position as a worker meant that she had no time or means to find herself a partner of her choice and that is perhaps why she fell in love with the young man from her union.
The most telling part of the book though is that during the marriage her family became increasingly alienated and even threatened by the union. This is because her husband was a well known thief and his family thought that he would run away to continue his career. The circumstances of their forced separation were upsetting enough for Paola Mena and it was not so bad when her sister-in-law informed Mena that her sister-in-law had told them that her husband had told her that the family had taken a loan from the bank to pay for the marriage. It was a shattering blow to Paola and the relationship with her family members came to an abrupt halt as she was suddenly very much a part of their lives.
Paola Mena is not a literature classic but is a refreshing look into a situation that could happen to any woman. Her story is relevant today as Spanish attitudes to relationships are often considered to be socially unacceptable. I would definitely recommend this book to any woman wanting to know how to develop an independent relationship. This may also be a good choice for college students who may be interested in developing a relationship with a Spanish partner.