Almudena Grandes's novel Los Aires Difíciles debuted at the number one spot on Spanish bestseller lists when it was published in February 2002, and remained on the lists until June that year. Since then, translations have been published in France, Germany, Italy, Israel, and the Netherlands. According to a review in Spain's leading newspaper, El Pais, "Los Aires Difíciles combines the traditions of classic epic narration of the nineteenth century with those of a modern contemporary novel. It is, in both senses, a great book."

Grandes was born in Madrid in 1960. Her first novel, Las Edades de Lulu, won the Sonrisa Vertical Prize for erotic fiction and was made into a film starring, among others, Javier Bardem. Her other novels include Te Llamare Viernes, Malena es un nombre de Tango, Atlas de Geografia Humana, and Modelos de Mujer.