Jeanne Blanchet

Dancer of Death: A Novel of Manolete Jeanne Blanchet

Manolete is a skilled matador trained to kill thousand-pound-plus bulls. Islero is a Miura bull bred to kill men. On August 28, 1947, their paths collide, leaving Manolete gravely wounded. As he lies in a hospital bed and drifts in and out of fitful sleep, snippets of his life, beginning from his early boyhood in Córdoba, flash before him. Traveling back in time, the superstar relives his first bullfight and early struggles to restore his destitute family's honor, his successful years at the pinnacle of his profession, his stormy relationship with his feisty mistress, actress Lupe Sino, and finally his heartbreaking descent into depression and alcoholism. In this colorful yet tragic story inspired by true events, the fascinating life of a Spanish bullfighter unfolds as he reflects on his journey to become a famous matador.