Chapter 1, The House of Doña Juana Summary and Analysis

Evita was born in the city of Los Toldos, outside of Buenos Aries. Her father, Juan Duarte, was important in his neighborhood and was forty-three when she was born. He had been married previously and had had three daughters. He left Evita's mother, Juana Ibarguren, to work as an estate manager in Los Toldos. Doña Juana was Duarte's mistress and met him when she was perhaps fifteen or sixteen. When Juana's children were born, Duarte's wife often visited them. Juana and Duarte had five children: Blanca, Elisa, Juan, Erminda and then Eva Maria or Evita. Juana adopted the Duarte name. She was both envied and despised in her village. Evita's birth certificate has been lost but she was baptized on November 21st, 1919.

In the beginning of 1920, Duarte, who...