The secret to savoring life is simply waiting.
『Fist on the Island』 by Violeta Lopiz
A delicate and beautiful story about life and death

Winter, when white snow covers the roofs and roads and a bitter wind blows
In my grandmother's secluded house, filled with the scent of tangerines steeped in sugar and spices,
The woman in the black shadow comes to visit.
What would it be like for them to spend Christmas together?

“Death has forgotten me.”
In a village where mist rising from the river silently swallows everything, an old woman in a remote house sits by the window and looks out at the scenery.
The little old woman, whose lips were as thin as a sheet of paper, had long since forgotten her age.
As round, white snow roofs appear on every house and little lights begin to twinkle throughout the village, a large cauldron hangs in the kitchen of a remote house.
Golden honey pours into the pot, and with each stroke of the spatula, the dough becomes more and more glossy.
Then a black shadow knocks on the door.
“Come with me.”
The grandmother, who has been waiting for death, welcomes the Grim Reaper, but for some reason, she begs the Grim Reaper for one more week, one more day.
I wasn't ready yet.
Christmas preparations for the village children! Grandma was making a special Christmas bread, never before known to anyone or recorded anywhere.
“The secret is just waiting.”

“It tastes beautiful.”
Raisins imbued with the spirit of autumn, sweet biscotti, crunchy nougat, fragrant sesame candies, honey-soaked tangerines and chestnuts, soft, puffy golden pandoro, piping hot chocolate, and fortune cookie-like sweets… The grim reaper is left dazed as freshly baked breads and sweets, made with Grandma's secret recipe, pour out.
A first taste of hospitality and life that death has never experienced before.
Amidst the feast of Christmas desserts and the joy of children, will the confused Grim Reaper be able to complete his mission safely?

A story of life and death approaching each other and gradually breaking down boundaries.

“The story of a grandmother who postpones death before her eyes day by day and a grim reaper who gradually sinks into the colorful flavors of life shows that life and death are not really that different.
The grandmother laments that death has forgotten her, but the god of death has been by her side from the beginning.
I just waited for the right time in the round hill next to the secluded house.
And the grandmother who passed through the mouth of death became a story that will last for a long time.
Some stories begin only after everything else is over.
It's like a recipe hidden in Grandma's last charda.
What happened to the children who bit into the fortune cookie and discovered the secret inside? Grandma's story isn't over yet."
_From the 'Translator's Note'

The profound lingering impact of Violeta Lópiz's delicate and concise paintings

“The red beads represent the sweet soul of the desserts my grandmother makes.
“Because the text is so rich in descriptions of desserts, I decided to depict only the most essential parts of them.” _Violeta Lopiz

This book, which presents a completely different style from the colorfully illustrated previous works, 『Fist on the Island』 and 『Map of the Heart』, features simple, three-color illustrations that unfold delicately and beautifully.
The red emanating from the isolated house, the grandmother, and the dessert, the white of winter snow and river mist, and the deep black of the Grim Reaper and the winter trees.


A little old woman wearing a red hood that covers her ears and an apron is blushing as she prepares Christmas desserts for the village children by the fire.
The Grim Reaper is like a large shadow with only arms and legs and an open face.
Such a messenger takes off his black coat and puts on a colorful shawl, embracing the warmth of life that even death is captivated by.
When we reach the scene where red beads fill the page, we feel the fullness of life through the picture.
But in the text, we read about death.
Lopez tells the paradox that “life and death are not really different” (translator) through this picture.
When both black and red finally fade away and we are faithfully enveloped in infinite white, we will be able to imagine a new story beyond.


The Legend of Santa Claus and Christmas Desserts in Italy

This book, written by Annamaria Gozzi, a writer fascinated by myths, legends, and folktales, is based on the legend of Befana, the Italian Santa Claus.
Even in the desserts that my grandmother makes, there is an old Italian legend called 'Spongata'.
Please be sure to read the 'Translator's Note' at the end of the book for more detailed information.

By the way, the traditional Christmas cake 'Pandora', which is also the main character of this book, is a tedious dessert that requires repeating the process of raising and kneading the dough over several days.
So, it took several days for the grandmother, and the messenger of death had to wait for her without fail.
A cute and affectionate story full of the flavor of winter is delivered in Violeta Lópiz's third picture book.