Summary

Florentino reads the hate-filled letter from Fermina and lies in his bed for several hours, contemplating what it says. He is not offended by her harsh words, but instead feels inspired because he sees it as a reason to communicate with her. He thinks about what he wants to say for several weeks and learns to use a typewriter to get it ready to send. In it, he apologizes for his actions on the day of Juvenal’s funeral. He continues to send her letters that do not reflect on their past but instead look back over life and give insight into love. Florentino stops having sex with America and tries to change the role to that of a caregiver instead of a lover. America is bothered by the change and tries to figure out the identity of the “other woman.”

After a year of correspondence...