Summary

In “Gaps That Were Left,” Francisco Junior mused about life continuing after one’s absence. This, he claimed, was the case for the Morales family when they reintegrated into Linares. The survivors continued performing the necessary tasks for society to function, which confused Beatriz and Francisco. New families were created, and old ones were replaced by those fleeing war violence. Francisco was surprised to see people bustling while visiting the post office. In “Letters that Arrived,” Francisco brought home a sack of 89 letters addressed to Carmen from her sweetheart, Antonio Domínguez Garza. In a fit of rage, Francisco kicked the unopened letters about the room. After Beatriz calmed him, he declared she would supervise Carmen’s letter reading and writing.

In “Verses That Win Hearts,” Beatriz listened to Carmen read Antonio...