The novel, published by L’Agulla Daurada, begins with the question of what would have happened if Jacqueline Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas instead of President John F. Kennedy. This premise allows Garcia to imagine how a single gesture can disrupt the known world, with the Vietnam War as a backdrop.
The first lady's death plunges the Californian town of Lafuente into a spiral of conspiracy, tension, and distrust, as they try to uncover what truly happened in the 1963 Dallas assassination and why. The work traces a narrative that explores the construction of personal identity, the complexity of family ties, and the fragility of a community immersed in collective paranoia.
“"I was interested in writing an alternate history primarily to go against the genre. The Kennedy assassination in '63 gave me the opportunity to subvert all the hopes that are in popular culture."
Garcia, awarded the Enric Valor Prize, the Ciutat d’Alzira Novel Prize, the Bancaixa Youth Narrative Prize, and the Alfons el Magnànim Prize, accompanies the teenager Cassidy Neal on his journey to adulthood and exposes the cracks in the American dream. The author highlights Kennedy's figure as the pop icon of the 20th century in politics, with a tragic and mysterious death that contributed to his legend.
The novel also addresses the theme of conspiracy theories, a phenomenon that, according to Garcia, is more prevalent than ever thanks to social media. These theories offer a simple and attractive explanation for events, allowing people to feel part of a collective and find refuge from chaos.
“"Conspiracy works because it allows us to belong and because it shelters us from chaos, from the absurd. Basic and simple ideas, no matter which ones, explain to us that events are linked to an order, respond to interests, to a logic."
The research process for the novel was intense, involving readings on the history of the era and the Kennedy case, as well as immersion in 1960s popular culture through music and radio programs. Garcia emphasizes the importance of balancing documentation with action to avoid excessive ambiance.
