Federico

Federico is the novel’s central character and protagonist: he is both the focus and the initiator of much of the action; his experiences and values define and/or inform many of the book’s themes; and his relationships with many of the book’s other characters influence their journeys of transformation as well. Most specifically, it is his experience of sadness and loss in the aftermath of the unexpected departure of his wife, Merced, that lie at the core of much of what the novel has to say, and the events that embody that.

Another powerful element of Federico’s character is his determination to live his life in relative privacy, free from what he sees as the controlling influence of a powerful external force. The two aspects of his experience / identity are perhaps intertwined: the narrative suggests that as he moves further away physically from what...