A Cup of Tea in Pamplona

by Robert Laxalt

In this slim tale, Laxalt shows the ugly, desperate, and sometimes violent world of the contrabandiers, Basque smugglers in the Pyrenees. Set in the 1960s, the terse story begins with Nikolas, driven by his family’s financial despair, taking on work from Gregorio, the patrón of a small team of smugglers. Nikolas must smuggle fifty horses over the mountain ridges between France and Spain. If he’s caught, jail and ruin are certain; death is possible. This engrossing novella, told with tight narration and compelling dialogue, shows the grinding poverty and ethnic tensions in Basque lands, fifty years ago. 

92 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Laxalt was a Basque-American writer whose work was especially well received in the ranching areas of Nevada and adjacent states, and led to creation of several "Basque Festivals" in those areas. Laxalt also served as a consultant to the Library of Congress on Basque culture, and helped start the Basque Studies program at the University of Nevada.

Laxalt founded the University of Nevada Press, which published almost all of his books written after 1964. Laxalt was chosen along with Walter Van Tilburg Clark to be the first writer inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm. Leaves me thoughtful. Almost want to read it again. Quite a little story with an open ending.

Gregorio, the Basque smuggler over the frontier of France and Spain has grown old and looking for a man with the necessary qualities to replace him.

He chooses Nikolas who vacillates between his need for money to escape poverty and his desire to remain respectable.

The tale has a backstory such and begins as the group of smugglers cross the mountaintop in the rain under darkness.
Interesting writing.

Placed his other books on my to read list.

[Emily G · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this short novel, Gregorio is a Basque smuggler looking to Nikolas to take over his business. Nikolas is put to the test for smuggling 50 horses. For a short novel, it was full of action and tension.

[Kevin Kern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short story, but with very little background, because it is a short story. Learn more about the Basques before reading it.

[Alan]

A novella about Basque smugglers. It deals with their poverty and independence. A good read.

[Geoff. Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting story, simply told to great effect, with a fine sense of place (the Basque regions of France and Spain).