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Back The Woman in Red Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Epigraph
  4. Prologue
  5. Part One
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Part Two
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Seventeen
  24. Eighteen
  25. Nineteen
  26. Twenty
  27. Twenty-One
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Part Three
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Twenty-Nine
  37. Thirty
  38. Thirty-One
  39. Thirty-Two
  40. Thirty-Three
  41. Thirty-Four
  42. Thirty-Five
  43. Thirty-Six
  44. Thirty-Seven
  45. Thirty-Eight
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. Forty
  48. Forty-One
  49. Forty-Two
  50. Part Four
  51. Forty-Three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. Fifty-Two
  61. Fifty-Three
  62. Epilogue
  63. Author’s Note
  64. Acknowledgments
  65. Discover More
  66. Reading Group Guide
  67. Discussion Questions
  68. ESSAY FROMDIANA GIOVINAZZO
  69. Antoinette’s Sister
  70. Chapter One
  71. Chapter Two
  72. About the Author
  73. Praise forThe Woman in Red

“Mo! Mo!” he proceeded to call out to his father before holding his mouth open like a baby bird.

“They say that Oribe ran off to Argentina to take shelter with Rosas,” José said as he placed more food in our son’s mouth.

“You’re going to spoil his supper,” I scolded.

José passed the box to me. “Tonight, we celebrate the little victories. Supper can be spoiled this one time, can’t it?”

Thoughts turned over in my mind as I slowly chewed. “Why would anyone want to take shelter with Rosas?”

“Because Rosas is powerful. He will back Oribe up when he is ready to attack. After Oribe licks his wounds, of course. It doesn’t take a fool to know that any government set up by Oribe will just be a puppet government for Rosas.”

“There’s going to be a war, isn’t there?”

“I’d bet money on it,” José said.

I sighed as I watched my husband and son together. My heart constricted with worry. Once more we would go to war.

Thirty-One

Thirty-One

July 1841

As José had predicted, war came to Montevideo. Two months after being ousted from the Uruguayan government Oribe returned with an army sponsored by Rosas. “They say Oribe is advancing in the north,” José said, pushing his stew around in his bowl. “It’s foolish to leave now, with rainy season on the way.”

“Who are they going to send to meet him?” I asked, wrapping my shawl tighter around my shoulders as I watched the brisk wind rustle the trees through the window.

José shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’m not involved with the military anymore. They don’t tell me these things.” He abruptly turned his attention to Menotti, letting the subject of the war die.

Days later, José became increasingly involved with the household as he sought out distractions from Uruguay’s politics. As we sat down for supper one evening a knock on the door echoed through the house. I looked at José curiously before going to open it. On a cold winter day such as this, no one was leaving their warm hearths to visit their neighbors.

At the door was a man who looked like his clothes hadn’t been washed in days. A shadow of fine bristles spread across his face. He held a worn-out hat in his hands. “Pardon me, senhora, but I am looking for a rat bastard with garlic breath by the name of Giuseppe.”

I stared at him, not knowing what to make of this supposed guest. “Miguel Contreras?” I heard José ask as he approached from the other room. “Why, you pockmarked bull calf!” José embraced the stranger in a bear hug. “What are you doing in South America?”

Miguel shrugged. “I’ve been floating around here and there.”