From the start, Violeta's life is marked by extraordinary events and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century. Violeta tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life is shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and ultimately not one, but two pandemics. Author of "A Long Petal of the Sea."