Given the stress we have all felt as the world deals with the Covid-19 virus, it seems appropriate to interweave two ideas: work written during the time of plague or that includes the idea of plague as part of its content, with that most enduring aspect of human experience: love. Relax, pour yourself a glass of wine, read, think, and turn on your computer for a stimulating series of discussions!

All sessions will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Copies of the books have been reserved for those participating in the discussions, and can be picked up at the front dest of West End Library without first reserving the book in the normal way. The sessions will be held over WebEx, and access will be provided for those who are not members of West End Library Friends by My T. Nguyen at the library. Email: my.nguyen@dc.gov

Set in Colombia in 1875, this is the story of an unusual love-triangle. Childhood lovers Fermina and Florentino are driven apart by Fermina’s realization that their youthful mutual infatuation had never filled out into something substantive. Her subsequent marriage to Urbino—a physician devoted to the eradication of Cholera—ends with the death of her husband in a fall from a ladder. Florentino appears at the funeral, declaring his still-constant love for her after fifty years of separation. Where does the narrative end up?