Below is the chapter breakdown that will take us all the way to May 15th.  I’m doing a recap each week, and at the end I’ll do an overall review of the book.  Originally, I was going to be doing the recaps on Sundays, but I decided that we all might need Sunday to catch up, at least I do, so I’m doing them on Mondays now.  If you’d like to join me, leave a comment!

• April 6th – 12th: Chapters 1 and 2
• Apr. 13th – 19th: Chapters 3, 4, and 5
• Apr. 20th – 26th: Chapters 6 and 7
• Apr. 27th – May 3rd: Chapters 8 and 9
• May 4th – 10th: Chapters 10, 11, and 12
• May 11th – 15th: Chapter 13 to the end of the book

This week’s recap is for Chapters 3 – 5.  If you’re a little behind, that’s ok!  I’ll clearly mark any spoilers.

First off, I just have to scream NOOOOOO!  Why, Clara?!!!

*Spoilers* So Clara marries the rapist, Esteban, and of course, just when I’m starting to maybe like Férula, he goes and throws her out of the house because he’s jealous.  We also meet Blanca, Clara’s 1st child, and she falls in love with a peasant boy, Pedro.  Interspersed amongst these events are several deaths,a little bit of Socialism, a whole lot of earthquake, and a few other characters that seem to be minor ones.  I was about to be so happy when the house collapsed on top of Esteban, but the jerk just had to survive it, didn’t he?!*End Spoilers*

I can’t see this being a happy story for any of the characters, and I feel like this family is the Spanish equivalent of the Cleary’s in The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.

What do you think of the story and the characters so far?  I hope you stick with me in continuing to read, but all comments about the book are welcome.