The Carpenter's Pencil

The Carpeneter's Pencil or El lápiz del carpintero is a book written by the Galician author Manuel Rivas. The story revolves around a young couple, Daniel Da Barca and Marisa Mallo. Their happiness is destroyed when Galicia becomes a dictatorship.

The Plot

Dr Daniel Da Barca is a left wing political activist who believes that women should have the right to vote in Galicia. He attends many rallies and gives speeches, always accompanied by his devoted girlfriend Marisa Mallo. Unbeknown to Da Barca, he has been watched by Herbal, an agent for the Civil Guard. When the Falanxists take control of the country, Da Barca is arrested for his left wing ideals in Santiago de Compostela.

Meanwhile Marisa's father Don Benito is trying to marry her off to Alejandro, a lieutenant in the Falanxist army. Marisa confides in her cousin, Laura that she cannot forget about Da Barca and is determined to get the condemed doctor out of prison. Beforehand Marisa had visited Daniel in the prison and he ordered her to forget about him and move on with her life.

The prison is run by the cruel and sadistic Zalo, a high ranking Falanxist. Zalo is married to Herbal's sister, Beatriz. Zalo holds an intense and burning hatred for all left wingers, and especially Da Barca.

When the prisoner, Gonzalo Rincon is tortured and murdered by Zalo and two other Falanxists he drops his pencil, which is picked up by Herbal. The Civil Guard keeps the pencil for his own.

Meanwhile Da Barca has been allowed to help out in the prison ward, due to his medical practices. He works alongside a nun Mother Izarne, with whom Da Barca develops a geniune friendship and Dr Solans. Solans has been stealing morphine from the ward to feed his own addiction to the drug.

It soon becomes clear to Da Barca, that most of the prisoners could be cured of their illness by a healthy diet such as fruit. When he tries to aquire this, he is beaten by Herbal and the other guards.

So will Da Barca ever be free from prison? Will he ever hold his beloved Marisa again? Or is he doomed to a life in prison under the newly installed Falanxist dictatorship?

Other

The book was adapted into a feature length film starring Luis Tosar and Tristan Ullan.