In his first novel, “What we tried to bury grows here“, Zabalbeascoa brings together family traditions and mountains of research to paint a kaleidoscopic portrait of the Spanish Civil War, particularly its impact on the population of Spain’s Basque Country.

This war, sparked by General Franco’s coup against the elected government in 1936, was a harbinger of Europe’s decade-long struggle against fascism. While working on his novel, Zabalbeascoa says he was “trying to make sense of political polarization, of calcification, of the rise of the far right, sometimes of a politically fractured left. And then, in the face of all this, the paralyzing conviction that nothing can be done.”

It was important for him to give voice to figures from all parties in the conflict, even if, he adds, “far from my office, I am a partisan”. After all, he continues, “democracy is about maintaining a conversation. Part of what convinced people to take up arms against their neighbors during the Spanish Civil War was demagoguery. And the power of a demagogue comes from dividing us, encouraging us to vilify each other, to target vulnerable groups, to persuade people through fear and lies.”

As with the book’s characters, Zabalbeascoa adds, “we can give in to that, many have.” The odds are against us. It’s easier to give in to cynicism and apathy. If we do, we can be sure of how this will end, but if we don’t, there is hope.”

Julian Zabalbeascoa will read Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Harvard Bookstore.