"The Metal of the Dead denounces the deplorable living and labor conditions of the workers in the Rio Tinto copper mine and describes the events that led up to their 1917 general strike. Concha Espina spent several weeks in Nerva - the nearest town to the mine where she could find lodging - and even went down into the pits to gather firsthand information. Espina describes the landscape surrounding the mine, lamenting the environmental ravages caused by irresponsible mining practices." "The human dimension in the novel revolves around the romantic entanglements of three youthful women whose different personalities reflect their regional provenance in a somewhat stereotypical manner: Aurora is a sweet blond woman from Spain's northern highlands, Rosario is a professional newspaper reporter from Madrid, and Casilda is a dark-haired and passionate Andalusian beauty."--Jacket.