Love in the Time of Covid

I’ve seen comparisons of the Covid virus with the title of the novel by Gabriel García Márquez. I’ve also noticed a number of questions from people asking what exactly that means and what the title refers to. Typically, the responses I hear are “Oh, it was a movie, a love story” or “It’s an old book about an epidemic, a long time ago.”

Yes, it is. And it was.

The book, Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez’s was originally published in 1985 (in Spanish), then published in English in 1988. The movie was released in 2007 (terrific cast).

I read the book sometime in the early 90s, but I won’t give away its plot or much more here, but I do highly recommend you read it. Especially while you have an opportunity to do a deeper reading dive while in iso-quarantine.

Yes, basically, it’s about a cholera epidemic in Colombia, with events occurring in both the mid-1800s to the first quarter of the twentieth century. And yes, it’s a complex love story, but so much more.

My point is that this book is a beautiful piece of period literature that will capture your imagination and allow you to paint colorful landscape visuals in your mind, as well as visualizing the characters, times, the river, etc. while reading it.

This may be a good time to read a great book like this as we’re experiencing our Love in the Time of Covid. Or Corona.

It’s a wonderful novel about Latin America, customs, the people, and their lives and times.

Love in the Time of Cholera is a colorful and fascinating sample of Latino literature. It’s beautiful. If you’re not familiar with García Marquéz (he passed away six years ago, on April 17, 2014), he’s an author you should discover.

Here are a few other Latino/Latinx authors whose work (my personal recommendations) you should also become familiar with:

  • Luis Alberto Urrea (House of Broken Angels, My current read. He’s a master writing about our lives)
  • Erika Sánchez (I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter)
  • Jose Antonio Burciaga (Drink Cultura, Bowl of Beans, are two I really enjoyed)
  • Myriam Gurba (Mean)
  • Stella Pope Duarte (Let Their Spirits Dance)

And finally, here’s a more comprehensive list w/ book recommendations provided by Latinx writers:https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/best-latino-books-according-latinx-writers-n1097226

“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.”
– Gabriel García Márquez