One of the most well-known Basque raffles is the one that tells the story of a girl who became a deer, and that is the ballad that inspires this latest work by Mariasun Landa. On the ballad, as the title says, the tragic story of a girl who becomes a deer, a deer who is captured and killed by her brother hunter is told. Mariasun Landa has created from this story a story composed of three elements or pieces, a story that unites tradition and modernity, past and present.

“Maitane went almost every afternoon to the park of Cristina Enea (…) kept some pieces of bread to be delivered to the ducks of the park pond. He knew them from a young age and each of them had a name, although Erramun, the old municipal police in the park, laughed on his own.” This is how this Last Ballad begins; and as the reader can guess, Maitane will be the main protagonist; she, and Erramun, the old municipal police of the park.

In particular, after seeing a deer in the park, Erramun tells him that they have brought two deer from the park of the Taconera de Pamplona: Mayi and Jakes. To answer the girl’s question “And why those names?”, the old municipal police: “But how don’t you know the story of a girl who became a deer? And what happened to his brother, a passionate hunter? (…) I don’t know what the hell they teach today in school!” And so, Erramun will tell the girl, several afternoons, that she has become Oreina and that she has become a child.

In addition to this relationship between the youth and the Municipal Police, the reader will also be familiar with Maitane's journals. In other words, in today’s report we are informed of the old ballad. The tragic end of the ballad, however, does not entirely satisfy the girl and “Let me think…” Maitane replied as if he were deciding. Maybe tomorrow I show you a solution, I'll write another story for Mayi." And, indeed, that is what is shown at the end of the book, a new version of the old, different, much more recent ballad (context, events…) and that in this sense can be even closer to the current reader. And that is that this book by Mariasun Landa, among its virtues (reading quickly, wanting to follow history, driving reflection on today’s issues, credibility…), there is one of the most outstanding: bringing the oral tradition closer, bringing it to the readers of now and offering new texts playing with it.

Landa's last story is a highly recommended book, as he takes it from tragedy, adventure, tradition, love and humor, among others. Also a sympathetic gesture at the end about the writer himself: “He’s from the neighborhood and has written many books, it’s called Mariasun Landa… Do you know?”