Discusion Question 6

The first two chapters of this story are devoted to the history of Emilias parents. Do you think that was a neccessary step to enrich this novel, or do you think it could have been left out?

Discussion Question 5

Do you think it was right of Daniel's father to send him away to bording school when he was such a young boy?

Question 4

Angeles Mastretta, the author, uses vivid descriptions about certain things happening in the story. Do you think this enriches the novel or not?

Question 3

Emilia is attracted to two different men. One she's married to and the other is rarely around. Do you think that this part of the story mirrors many people in todays world?

Discussion Question 2

Do you think Antonio should have stayed with Emilia even though she leaves him to be with Daniel when he is in town?

Discussion Question 1

Do you think that it was fair for emilia to ditch Antonio for Daniel, when she was married and living with Antonio?

In real life, love and war seldom end neatly. So it is with Lovesick, a novel that refuses to give either its characters or readers easy solutions to complex problems. Emilia's choice between the meaningful existence she shares with her lover and the exhilaration she experiences with Daniel is at the heart of this book, yet Angeles Mastretta's novel doesn't wear that heart on its sleeve; like life, Lovesick leaves some questions unanswered.

Summary

The novel spans about fifty years in the history of a nation, family and love affair. Set in a neighborhood of Puebla in Mexico City, the story is of Emilia Sauri, a young woman who is in love with two very different men. One of the men Daniel, is an activist whose frequent partings for the civil war leave Emilia feeling abandoned yet even more enthusiastic. The other man Antonio, is a stable and devoted doctor who helps her realize her own gift for healing. As Emilia must sort though the affairs of her heart, so must she confront the fate history presents- a nation wrecked by civil war and a society awakening to the beginning of the twentieth century.