A Flor de Piel (Novela) / On the Surface (a Novel) [Spanish]

Los protagonistas de A flor de piel, desgarrados entre la pasi n de salvar al mundo y la necesidad de salvarse a s mismos, son como luces en el horizonte oscuro del final de una poca.

El 30 de noviembre de 1803, una corbeta zarpa del puerto de La Coru a entre v tores y aplausos. En su interior viajan veintid s ni os hu rfanos cuya misi n consiste en llevar la reci n descubierta vacuna de la viruela a los territorios de Ultramar, entre ellos, a la joya de la Corona: la Nueva Espa a y su capital, M xico. Los acompa a Isabel Zendal, encargada de cuidarlos. Los h roes de esta descabellada expedici n, dirigida por el m dico Francisco Xavier Balmis y su ayudante Josep Salvany, sobrevivir n a temporales y naufragios, se enfrentar n a la oposici n del clero, a la corrupci n de los oficiales y a la codicia de quienes buscan lucrar a costa de los desamparados.

Si al final esta aventura se convirti en la mayor proeza humanitaria de la Historia, se debi no s lo al coraje de aquellos ni os que se abocaron a salvar las vidas de much sima gente, sino tambi n al arrojo de Balmis y Salvany, hombres sin miedo que se disputaron el amor de la nica mujer a bordo.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

The protagonists of A flor de piel, torn between the passion to save the world and the need to save themselves, are like lights on the dark horizon of the end of an era.

On November 30, 1803, a corvette set sail from the port of La Coru a amidst cheers and applause. Twenty-two orphaned children are traveling inside, whose mission is to take the newly discovered smallpox vaccine to the overseas territories, including the jewel in the crown: New Spain and its capital, Mexico. They are accompanied by Isabel Zendal, in charge of taking care of them. The heroes of this crazy expedition, led by the doctor Francisco Xavier Balmis and his assistant Josep Salvany, will survive storms and shipwrecks, face the opposition of the clergy, the corruption of the officers and the greed of those who seek to profit at the expense of the homeless.

If in the end this adventure became the greatest humanitarian feat in history, it was due not only to the courage of those children who dedicated themselves to saving the lives of many people, but also to the courage of Balmis and Salvany, fearless men who fought for the love of the only woman on board.