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Gival Press
Julia & Rodrigo
Julia & Rodrigo
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Winner of the Gival Press Novel Award
"Julia & Rodrigo" is a Romeo-and-Juliet story set in Guatemala against the backdrop of the country’s civil war. The novel centers on Julia García and Rodrigo Rax, two young people from the small, mountainous town of Santa Cruz, Verapaz, who fall in love. Julia is Evangelical and Rodrigo Catholic, and their different religions, as well as their different races (Julia is ladina, Rodrigo half Maya Indian) and social classes (Julia’s family is intact and financially stable, Rodrigo’s is fatherless and poor), complicate their relationship. The novel features strong secondary characters, including an idealistic African-American Catholic named Alejandra and a Mephistopheles-like foil named Pedro Mendez.
Rodrigo is an exceptional soccer player, and he signs with a professional team. Because a soccer career is likely to make Rodrigo wealthy, Julia’s father consents to his daughter marrying him. But after Rodrigo is badly injured, Julia’s father withdraws his permission. Rodrigo and Julia make plans to marry anyway. A month before they can elope, however, Rodrigo is impressed into the army, where long stretches of boredom are broken by disturbing encounters with guerrillas and violent interrogations of Maya-Indian villagers.
Meanwhile, Julia goes off to college, where she becomes engaged to a classmate. She doesn’t forget Rodrigo, however. Indeed, she feels his presence everywhere. Although she plans for a future with Oscar, her fiancé, she wonders if her engagement is all a charade she is putting on until Rodrigo’s return.
"Julia & Rodrigo" is a Romeo-and-Juliet story set in Guatemala against the backdrop of the country’s civil war. The novel centers on Julia García and Rodrigo Rax, two young people from the small, mountainous town of Santa Cruz, Verapaz, who fall in love. Julia is Evangelical and Rodrigo Catholic, and their different religions, as well as their different races (Julia is ladina, Rodrigo half Maya Indian) and social classes (Julia’s family is intact and financially stable, Rodrigo’s is fatherless and poor), complicate their relationship. The novel features strong secondary characters, including an idealistic African-American Catholic named Alejandra and a Mephistopheles-like foil named Pedro Mendez.
Rodrigo is an exceptional soccer player, and he signs with a professional team. Because a soccer career is likely to make Rodrigo wealthy, Julia’s father consents to his daughter marrying him. But after Rodrigo is badly injured, Julia’s father withdraws his permission. Rodrigo and Julia make plans to marry anyway. A month before they can elope, however, Rodrigo is impressed into the army, where long stretches of boredom are broken by disturbing encounters with guerrillas and violent interrogations of Maya-Indian villagers.
Meanwhile, Julia goes off to college, where she becomes engaged to a classmate. She doesn’t forget Rodrigo, however. Indeed, she feels his presence everywhere. Although she plans for a future with Oscar, her fiancé, she wonders if her engagement is all a charade she is putting on until Rodrigo’s return.
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