The book opens with a group of women waiting in line at the slaughterhouse to collect the blood they need to make blood sausage. This motif encompasses many different understandings of blood: In addition to symbolizing the blood spilled during the war and the blood spilled by Franco’s minions after, blood also indicates birth and social status.

For Franco, blood represents purity and unity. Those with noble blood, like Daniel’s mother, represent the elites of Spain. Blood ties and inheritance also apply, represented by Daniel’s “genetic connection to Spain” (235) and the “magnetic tug” Cristina feels on arriving in Spain with Daniel (429). Blood also binds families together, both in goods ways—as represented by Julia’s devotion to and sacrifice for her family—and in frustrating ways, as shown in Nick’s desperate attempts to spill the blood that ties him to his lecherous and malevolent father.

The orphan is an ever-present symbol throughout the text, and refers to all of the children of Spain harmed by Franco’s policies. Orphans are symbolized by former victims of Franco, like Rafa and Fuga; current victims like Clover and Puri; and future victims who suffer during the 18-year gap between the first section of the book and its closing.