Un largo invierno

One snowy morning, after arguing with her husband, Miquel's mother leaves their home in the Catalan Pyrenees and never returns. In the absence of his younger brother, and facing the hostility of the villagers due to an old feud, Miquel and his father are left to fend for themselves. While in *A Long Winter*, Tóibín narrates how they are forced to fight against the elements and their mutual resentment, in its sequel, *The Bridge*, he picks up the story several months later, when the construction of a pass between two mountains will allow communication between the isolated valley and hinder smuggling in the area. Miquel dreams of escaping his father and the harsh environment, but an event will change everything in his life.