Longing

by Maria Espinosa

LONGING is a psychological novel focusing on a young woman's dependence on her husband and finally her attempts to forge an independent life for herself and escape their unhealthy relationship. Rosa, a frail, sensitive American Jew living in Paris, marries an alcoholic, expatriate from Chile and finds herself trapped in a sadomasochistic relationship. Through the birth of their daughter and reunion with her parents in the U.S., Rosa's implicit trust in Antonio to direct her life begins to wain. But her parents are not the answer either, and Rosa gradually gains confidence in her pursuit of self.

298 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

MARIA ESPINOSA is a novelist, poet, and translator as well as a teacher. Her publications include five novels: Incognito: Journey of a Secret Jew, Dark Plums, Longing, which received an American Book Award, as well as Dying Unfinished, which received a Josephine Miles Award for Literary Excellence from PEN Oakland. Her fifth and most recent novel, Suburban Souls, tells a tale of Jewish German Holocaust survivors in 1970’s San Francisco. She has also published two collections of poems, Love Feelings, and Night Music, and a critically acclaimed translation of George Sand’s novel, Lelia. Espinosa is concerned with human communication on a level that transcends the norms permitted by society. Her novels focus on the subtle as well as the obvious forces that shape a human being.