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First Love: Just Once in a Lifetime: A Memoir
By 1956 Violeta Barrett had been working for a Wall Street investment firm more than a decade. Recently separated from her husband and feeling overworked, Violeta decided to vacation in Mexico. After her plane landed in Mexico City, a stranger with a deep, accented voice introduced himself as her tour guide. Violeta and Jorge had no idea they were about to begin a four-year romance that would endure the test of time and distance.
In her compelling memoir, Violeta shares a nostalgic and emotional journey where principles, love, and obligations collide and force unexpected decisions. Energized by the Mexican culture and Jorge's charm, Violeta is soon caught up in the joy of being loved. But before long she must return to her obligations, leaving Jorge behind. Through the more than seventy love letters she would receive from Jorge for the next few years, the two share a forbidden passion-until the forces of morality prevail.
Nearly fifty years ago, Violeta and Jorge fell in love, changing their lives forever. Their heartfelt story proves that true love is not affected by time. It is ageless. It is eternal.
In her compelling memoir, Violeta shares a nostalgic and emotional journey where principles, love, and obligations collide and force unexpected decisions. Energized by the Mexican culture and Jorge's charm, Violeta is soon caught up in the joy of being loved. But before long she must return to her obligations, leaving Jorge behind. Through the more than seventy love letters she would receive from Jorge for the next few years, the two share a forbidden passion-until the forces of morality prevail.
Nearly fifty years ago, Violeta and Jorge fell in love, changing their lives forever. Their heartfelt story proves that true love is not affected by time. It is ageless. It is eternal.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2011
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640 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 6, 2011
This book was very touching. I think it would be hard to feel anything but happy when you finish this book. The author writes about her experiences with love, specifically with "the one." In Violeta's case, "the one" is Jorge. Jorge was surprisingly sweet and romantic, the reader will find him extremely likable. Violeta herself is just as likable. The reader will get to know Violeta very well, the author doesn't hold much back.
There is a certain intimacy that the letters provide to the overall ambiance of the story. Love stories can be told without letters, but the letters add that personal feel. There are also pictures in the memoir that the reader will be able to tell were chosen with thought and care by the author. In this case, a picture does appear to speak a thousand words. The love stories towards the back of the memoir are beautiful too; a reader does not need to even like poetry to be able to understand this author's meaning. This book is highly recommended to adult readers...the title truly exemplifies the book.
There is a certain intimacy that the letters provide to the overall ambiance of the story. Love stories can be told without letters, but the letters add that personal feel. There are also pictures in the memoir that the reader will be able to tell were chosen with thought and care by the author. In this case, a picture does appear to speak a thousand words. The love stories towards the back of the memoir are beautiful too; a reader does not need to even like poetry to be able to understand this author's meaning. This book is highly recommended to adult readers...the title truly exemplifies the book.
December 12, 2011
At around thirty years of age in 1956, Violeta had already been working for more than ten years at a Wall Street investment firm. During that time, she had also married, but separated from her husband after two years in an unconsummated marriage.
So it was at this point in her life that she decided she'd earned a vacation, and headed down to Mexico. As she steps off of the plane, she is greeted by a handsome Mexican tour guide by the name of Jorge. Over the next couple of weeks, Violeta and her tour companions are taxied around Mexico by Jorge, always charming and informative, if at times a little deceitful with his knowledge, making up what he doesn't know.
As the days pass, and the group tours Mexico, Jorge and Violeta's feelings for one another grow. By the time that Violeta heads back to New York, both she and Jorge believe themselves to be in love.
The first 40-plus pages tell the story of their affair, while the other 150 or so pages are of Jorge's letter to Vy over the years, after she returns to New York.
This is one of those stories that is very personal, so it is hard to be critical at all. Besides there isn't really much to be critical of as far as writing style and the like. The only really critical thing I have to say in that respect is that the timeline wasn't laid out very well, so I had a hard time envisioning how everything happened. I had to sort out her age, am still unclear on how long she was in Mexico, although I think it to be around 2 weeks, and feel that other things were left unclear as well. I feel that bits of the story are missing, so I don't have a complete picture.
The love story was sweet, but unfortunately I'm a bit jaded and cautious where love is concerned, so I have to be skeptical of a love born from a brief encounter. I like to think it was genuine and sincere and full, but Jorge's letters smack a little of co-dependency to me. I felt suffocated by the clinginess of them much of the time. But given the way that their love has hung with Violeta all of these years, I have to trust that it was as deep and meaningful to them as a decades-long love affair.
Sweet and lingering. If romance is your cup of tea, give this real-life one a try.
So it was at this point in her life that she decided she'd earned a vacation, and headed down to Mexico. As she steps off of the plane, she is greeted by a handsome Mexican tour guide by the name of Jorge. Over the next couple of weeks, Violeta and her tour companions are taxied around Mexico by Jorge, always charming and informative, if at times a little deceitful with his knowledge, making up what he doesn't know.
As the days pass, and the group tours Mexico, Jorge and Violeta's feelings for one another grow. By the time that Violeta heads back to New York, both she and Jorge believe themselves to be in love.
The first 40-plus pages tell the story of their affair, while the other 150 or so pages are of Jorge's letter to Vy over the years, after she returns to New York.
This is one of those stories that is very personal, so it is hard to be critical at all. Besides there isn't really much to be critical of as far as writing style and the like. The only really critical thing I have to say in that respect is that the timeline wasn't laid out very well, so I had a hard time envisioning how everything happened. I had to sort out her age, am still unclear on how long she was in Mexico, although I think it to be around 2 weeks, and feel that other things were left unclear as well. I feel that bits of the story are missing, so I don't have a complete picture.
The love story was sweet, but unfortunately I'm a bit jaded and cautious where love is concerned, so I have to be skeptical of a love born from a brief encounter. I like to think it was genuine and sincere and full, but Jorge's letters smack a little of co-dependency to me. I felt suffocated by the clinginess of them much of the time. But given the way that their love has hung with Violeta all of these years, I have to trust that it was as deep and meaningful to them as a decades-long love affair.
Sweet and lingering. If romance is your cup of tea, give this real-life one a try.
June 10, 2012
First Love, by Violeta Barrett is a well-written, heart-felt and honest memoir, one that reminds us that “true love never dies.”
The author opens her heart and candidly shares with readers how she fell in love with her tour guide in Mexico during a holiday back in 1956. Not only that, but she also shares with us the 76 love letters that kept their relationship alive during the four years of their affair. Torn and yellowed, the letters speak for themselves in this upbeat, inspirational story.
Violeta had been working for more than a decade for a Wall Street investment firm before her trip. She was a modern, career woman, already married and separated for two years.
Stressed and overworked, she had gone to Mexico to relax and charge her batteries. But nothing prepared her for the outcome: her finding true love in the least expected circumstances. She was loved like a princess in a fairytale. How many women can say that in a lifetime?
Entertaining and uplifting, this memoir is full of ethnic, local flavor with all the sights and sounds of Mexico. The narrator’s voice is honest and sensitive. This is a woman who knew real love and who’s lived to tell her experience to others, to share her feelings and doubts.
Part of the book are the letters themselves, which she kept all this time, never knowing that one day she would write a book about them.
This is recommended to fans of memoirs or anybody who enjoys a good romantic tale.
The author opens her heart and candidly shares with readers how she fell in love with her tour guide in Mexico during a holiday back in 1956. Not only that, but she also shares with us the 76 love letters that kept their relationship alive during the four years of their affair. Torn and yellowed, the letters speak for themselves in this upbeat, inspirational story.
Violeta had been working for more than a decade for a Wall Street investment firm before her trip. She was a modern, career woman, already married and separated for two years.
Stressed and overworked, she had gone to Mexico to relax and charge her batteries. But nothing prepared her for the outcome: her finding true love in the least expected circumstances. She was loved like a princess in a fairytale. How many women can say that in a lifetime?
Entertaining and uplifting, this memoir is full of ethnic, local flavor with all the sights and sounds of Mexico. The narrator’s voice is honest and sensitive. This is a woman who knew real love and who’s lived to tell her experience to others, to share her feelings and doubts.
Part of the book are the letters themselves, which she kept all this time, never knowing that one day she would write a book about them.
This is recommended to fans of memoirs or anybody who enjoys a good romantic tale.
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October 30, 2015Thank you Goodreads for sending me this book. I enjoyed this book. Initially the descriptions of Mexico are great & I really felt as if I wanted to go there. The relationship between Jorge & Vy, although intense at the beginning, I felt became quite desperate. Jorge being married changed things for me We don’t know about Jorge’s life with his wife. I’m so glad Violeta remained strong & married someone else. You have to remember this was 50 years ago. Jorge’s letters were passionate, but rather desperate and sad at the same time.
February 21, 2016
It was a breath of fresh air to read this book. It was interestingly written and just enough romantic to keep me reading forward. It was a perseverance inspiration in love and devotion. Knowing that it was a real story was also a good thing, it gave it a special all-out.
February 27, 2016
A beautiful and compelling memoir that tells of the love shared by Violeta and Jorge. The love letters were a deeply personal touch. Great story!
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#goodreads #giveaways
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews