Twists of Fate

Using the vivid, yet previously undocumented, memories of Miguel Ruiz, a Spanish veteran exiled in France, award-winning graphic novelist Paco Roca reconstructs World War II through an international lens. Ruiz was a member of “La Nueve,” a company of men that went straight from fighting for their homeland in the Spanish Civil War to battles spanning the globe in WWII. Their trek across Europe and Africa was spurred on for years by their love for their country and hate for brutal dictatorships. With threads that seamlessly connect the present and the past, Ruiz’s stories that make up Twists of Fate are often filled with both horror and humor, hope and grief, giving those who only know the American side of World War II a brand-new, and often startling, perspective. The artist behind the Eisner-nominated Wrinkles (now a critically acclaimed animated movie on Netflix), Roca returns with a major graphic novel that features his trademark narrative mastery that blends compassion, humanity, and sensitivity. Already winning worldwide awards and being called by one critic “the Spanish Maus,” Twists of Fate is much more than one forgotten hero’s personal story. It’s a necessary and timely look into what we remember and why we forget, a reminder that everyone has a tale to tell, and an