Tramway to Malvarrosa

Before Manuel Vicent became a celebrated writer, he was a boy growing up in Spain under Franco's dictatorship. After Vicent finishes school and returns to his village, he befriends El Bola, a boisterous official who claims he's more high-ranking than he is. Vicent's father also tells him he's either going to become a priest or a lawyer, but not a writer. Vicent decides on law school, where he starts reading banned books, which ultimately influence his writing.