Catalina: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss

Catalina: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss

The book follows Catalina, a woman from a village near Toulouse.

A school teacher invites her to give a talk about the civil war, as she lived it firsthand. That night, she cannot sleep and begins to remember her experiences during the war.

She begins to remember when her father was imprisoned, and her mother and brother were taken to the barracks, leaving her home alone. After a while, her mother and brother returned, but her father did not. During the village festivals, Dolores, Catalina’s best friend, introduces her to a boy named Emilio, and they fall in love. The two become inseparable, but the villagers do not like him because Emilio’s father is considered untrustworthy. One day, they decide to go on a bike trip together, dreaming of visiting Egypt.

Tadeo, Catalina’s brother, joins an armed group in the mountains, a group that Franco opposes. Dolores is very angry with Catalina for what her brother is doing.

Catalina is kidnapped, and Emilio is blamed, forcing him to flee to the mountains. On the way, he meets El Andaluz, one of the mountain fighters, who helps him find Emilio. However, upon arriving, one of the mountain fighters does not want Catalina to stay, but her brother refuses to leave her alone. Tirso, a teacher, teaches her to read and write. Catalina cares for and feeds Emilio until he is rescued one day. They change mountain shelters because their location is no longer safe, and the new shelter is where the policeman who killed Cundo, Tirso, and El Andaluz is located. Catalina manages to escape the country, moving to Toulouse and marrying Lucien.

After the sleepless night, she goes to a cafe where she sees Emilio. After so many years, she sits with him. They talk for a long time and remember the promise they made: to go to Egypt together. They decide to fulfill it.

Structure

The book is separated into thirty-seven chapters.

External Structure

• Approach: Catalina is invited by her former high school teacher to give a talk.
• Node: Catalina has a sleepless night and remembers the hard times she went through during the civil war.
• Outcome: The protagonist, after that sleepless night, is at a coffee shop and meets her old love, Emilio.

Characters

Main Characters:

• Catalina: The protagonist of the book. She is a woman who suffered in the war and was in love with Emilio but did not marry him.
• Emilio: The man Catalina is in love with. He strives to be at her side. He was kidnapped.

Secondary Characters:

• The Mother: The mother of Tadeo and Catalina. She is taken to the barracks for a while.
• Tadeo: Catalina’s brother. He joins the mountain fighters.
• Tirso: Catalina’s teacher. He also joins the mountain fighters.
• Dolores: Catalina’s best friend. She helps her meet Emilio.
• Cundo: A member of the mountain fighters. He tries to assault Catalina when she is looking for Emilio.
• El Andaluz: A member of the mountain fighters and a friend of Catalina.
• Cega-July: The teacher who prepares Catalina’s interview.
• Lucien: Catalina’s late husband.

Space

The spaces are real, as most of the story takes place in the mountains and in Toulouse.

Time

It is a real-time because the story takes place during the years 1937 to 1939.

The Narrator

The narrator is a character, internal and autobiographical, telling the story in the first person.