A DELICATE MARRIAGE

A love story unfolds during a turbulent time in Puerto Rican history in this debut historical novel.

In 1928, 14-year-old Marco Rios loses his father and grandmother when a hurricane devastates the town of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. Left to care for his mother and younger sister, Julia, and experiencing the poverty left in the hurricane’s wake, Marco vows to “dedicate his life to improving the circumstances of his people.” Seven years later, he is a business student at the University of Puerto Rico when he meets Isabela, the socialite daughter of Don Gabriel Soto, one of the wealthiest men on the island. Despite her father’s misgivings, Isabela finds the earnest and ambitious Marco charming. After their marriage in 1937, Marco enjoys a thriving career with the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Agency while Isabela begins teaching adults to read and write in the poverty-stricken El Fanguito slum. When Isabela becomes pregnant, Marco forms a construction company called Solemar Enterprises with his friend Sammy.As their family grows, Marco’s and Isabela’s political allegiances create a divide within the marriage. Marco supports working with the Americans to secure the island’s future, while Isabela backs Puerto Rican nationalism. She starts a magazine called Letras Boricuas to promote Puerto Rican art and culture, “highlighting the island’s history and varied heritage.” Isabela also grows close to journalist Antonio Badilla, a staunch nationalist. When her loyalties lead to her involvement in a shocking act of political violence, Marco and Isabela are left to wonder if their marriage will survive. Barresi is a naturally gifted storyteller with a talent for narrative structure. The chapters alternate between Marco’s and Isabela’s perspectives, giving readers both sides of their story. The couple’s relationship unfolds at a steady but unhurried pace, which allows their inner lives and shifting political sympathies to evolve in a realistic manner. The wealth of historical details bolsters the novel. The author references major political figures of the time—including Marco’s preferred gubernatorial candidate, Luis Muñoz Marín, and nationalist firebrand Pedro Albizu Campos—throughout the story. What emerges is a fully three-dimensional portrait of a couple trying to find a way forward in a time of political and social upheaval.

An absorbing and deeply nuanced romance.