Alós, Concha (1922—)

Spanish novelist. Name variations: Alos. Born María Concepción "Concha" Alós Domingo in Valencia, Spain, in 1922; daughter of Francisco Alós Tárrega and Pilar Domingo Pardo; married Eliseo Feijóo, in 1943.

Selected works:

Los enamos (The Dwarfs, 1963); Los cien pájaros (Bonfires, 1964); Os habla Electra (Electra Speaking, 1975).

When she was three months old, Concha Alós' adoptive father Francisco and her mother Pilar moved the family from Valencia, Spain, to Castellón de la Plana. A shy, only child, Alós made up stories and games to play alone. Enrolled in a private school for girls that focused on sewing, cooking, and manners, Alós was ill-prepared for the academically based high-school entrance exam and failed on her first try. Though she passed on a later attempt, her high-school education was interrupted in 1935 by the Spanish Civil War when her family fled Castellón. Subsequently, her mother Pilar suffered a mental breakdown, her father Francisco was imprisoned, and the family often went without food. When they returned home in 1939, their house had been destroyed. Pilar died shortly thereafter and Francisco married a woman whom his daughter did not like. In 1943, Alós married journalist Eliseo Feijóo. They moved to Palma de Mallorca where Alós enrolled at the local teachers college, graduating in 1953. After several years of teaching in neighboring areas, she separated from Feijóo and in 1959 moved to Barcelona. Although Alós had been writing for some time, recognition came in 1962 when she entered her novel The Dwarfs for the prestigious Planeta Prize and won. Her book Electra Speaking (1975) is perhaps her best-known work.

Crista Martin , Boston, Massachusetts