Summary
Summary of The Car of Destiny
Key ideas
Key idea 1
Love sets the journey in motion
Ramón arrives in Biarritz with his American friend Dick Waring, already carrying a reason to hide. As the son of a banished Carlist general, he risks trouble by following the King of Spain under an English name. A leaking petrol tank brings him close to Lady Monica Vale, and he falls in love at once.
Her mother intends her to marry the wealthy Duke of Carmona. Dick sees a hopeless rivalry, but Ramón trusts his feelings. His sudden love gives him a reason to pursue danger rather than avoid it.
Key idea 2
A secret love meets open threats
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Key idea 3
Loyalty opens the road into Spain
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Key idea 4
Strangers give Ramón a family
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Key idea 5
A kindness defeats the Duke's trap
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Key idea 6
Friends and messages sustain the chase
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Key idea 7
The road brings help and uncertainty
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Key idea 8
Monica's rejection puts trust at risk
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Key idea 9
Love travels with loyal companions
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
Readers who love road trips, old motorcars, secret identities and a love story with a dash of danger will enjoy it, as will anyone curious about the towns, food and festivals of Spain.
What this book is
Imagine chasing the girl you love across a whole country in a red motorcar, when the roads are rough and the man ahead is a ruthless duke. That is the road for Ramón Cristóbal, Marqués de Casa Triana, the son of a banished Carlist general, who is forbidden to enter Spain. He glimpses Lady Monica Vale near Biarritz and loses his heart at once. Her mother wants her to marry the Duke of Carmona. Ramón follows in disguise, with an American friend and a faithful chauffeur.
In this summary
- 1A wish by the road at BiarritzFree
- 2A masked ball and a warning
- 3A new name and a trick at the border
- 4Burgos and the family who adopt him
- 5A trap in the Escorial
- 6Sabotage in Madrid and a gift from Toledo
- 7Dream-book luck on the road south
- 8Córdoba, Seville, and a cold look in the garden
- 9Love, loyalty and Spain on the road
Key point 1 of 9
A wish by the road at Biarritz
Ramón arrives in Biarritz by car with his American friend Dick Waring. Dick warns him that the King of Spain is in town. A Casa Triana has good reason to keep away, since Ramón was once jailed in Barcelona. He takes the English name Christopher Trevenna and follows the royal car anyway.
The royal car stops with a leaking petrol tank, and Ramón offers a spare can. Two girls lift their veils. One is as lovely as a saint in a window, and he falls in love in a moment. She is Lady Monica Vale, and her ambitious mother plans a match with the Duke of Carmona, one of the richest nobles in Spain.
Dick calls the case hopeless, like Romeo and Juliet. Ramón answers that Romeo won Juliet. Love at first sight sets the whole journey in motion, and it shows a man who trusts his impulses.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Monica initially ask Ramón to keep their love secret?
Right. “She tells him that she cares for him too, and that she fears the Duke's temper.”Not quite. “She tells him that she cares for him too, and that she fears the Duke's temper.”
How does Pilar help Ramón continue his pursuit?
Right. “Ramón will wear her brother's uniform and travel as Cristóbal O'Donnel.”Not quite. “Ramón will wear her brother's uniform and travel as Cristóbal O'Donnel.”
Why does Pilar think Monica's rejection may not reflect her true feelings?
Right. “At the farm, Pilar says that a girl who loves a man does not act so unless she has been lied to.”Not quite. “At the farm, Pilar says that a girl who loves a man does not act so unless she has been lied to.”
Questions about The Car of Destiny
What is The Car of Destiny about?
It follows Ramón, a banished Spaniard, who drives across Spain in a motorcar to stay near an English girl, Monica Vale, while a powerful duke tries to marry her. It mixes a love story, a chase and a tour of Spanish towns.
Who is the Duke of Carmona in the book?
He is a rich Spanish grandee with a hot temper and Moorish ancestry, whose family has long been an enemy of the Casa Trianas. He wants Monica for her beauty and for the favor her friendship with the new queen can bring.
Why is Ramón not allowed in Spain?
His father was a Carlist general who fought against the royal line and was exiled. Ramón was then jailed in Barcelona when a bomb was thrown on the day he arrived, so he is warned never to return.
Is the book easy to follow?
Yes, in the sense that it moves town by town with a clear chase, a lively narrator and plenty of humor. The friendships keep the story warm.
