Celeste is a young woman studying at a university in her native Venezuela. She meets an American professor named Robert, marries him, and moves to Washington, D.C. Things go downhill from there.
Robert is a classic abusive, controlling, husband. Celeste's every move is watched, her phone calls monitored. When her bus home is late she is beaten.
My favorite line in the story? Reaching into a hand-carved box, I sort through the gold jewelry and select Robert's latest apology.
But what makes this story more than just a tale of domestic misery is that each scene is prefaced with a quotation from Christopher Columbus's letters or logbooks, describing his encounters with the natives of the new world. It is no accident that Celeste and Robert get married on Columbus Day. I can't imagine how much work went into finding the appropriate texts for each scene.
Very moving story.
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