TEHRAN (IBNA) -- A novel by noted Basque writer Bernardo Atxaga titled ‘Memoirs of a Basque ‎Cow’ (1995) which delves into the impact of the political on individual lives has been ‎published in Persian for Iranian readers.
This work has been translated into Persian by Ali-Reza Shafieinasab. Afarinegan Publishing has released ‘Memoirs of a Basque Cow’ in 168 pages.
One dark and stormy night, Mo hears her Inner Voice urging her to begin writing her memoirs. Having ignored her Inner Voice’s advice once before, with near-fatal consequences, she decides, this time, to do as she is told.
Mo looks back on her life, beginning with the crucial moment when she met another cow, who introduced herself as La Vache qui Rit, and assured Mo that there was nothing more stupid in this world than a stupid cow.
Mo spends her life trying to prove to her friend that, despite being a cow, she is not at all stupid. Besides, she has her Inner Voice and a great desire to live! Set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, in which defeated Republican supporters are still being persecuted by victorious Nationalists.
It paints a funny, touching portrait of friendship and freedom and the sometimes-difficult process of finding oneself.
Bernardo Atxaga (born 1950) with the real name of Joseba Irazu Garmendia is considered to be the finest Basque writer of his generation. He has written novels, short stories, song lyrics, plays and children’s literature.