Review: Watercolors and Tears by José Orlando Castañeda 

Synopsis:

Manuel, a young Ecuadorian, sells medicinal herbs in the market and paints watercolors in his spare time. In search of a better life, he emigrates to Port Chester (New York). Elvira, his wife, intends to join him by sea, but she is shipwrecked. Her plans change after her rescue, and she ends up in Madrid, where she is employed as a nanny. Antonio, the father of the children in her care, discovers her secretly reading a novel from his antique books collection. He slyly labels a passage with a strip of paper, intending for her to read it. Intrigued, Elvira responds by indicating her own phrases in the book. That’s the beginning of an innocent exchange of literary quotes through which love quietly slips in. While Manuel takes refuge in his paintings and herbal remedies on the other side of the world, Elvira finds herself falling for Antonio. When her hopes are dashed through a casual blunder, she seeks to regain her marital home and travels to Port Chester to be with her husband. Confronted by an unexpected tragedy, she discovers the watercolors that Manuel has painted in his solitude. His brushstrokes cut deep into her heart.

Favorite Lines:

“When Manuel and Elvira’s gazes finally met, their silence broke. In simple words, they exchanged life impressions; and in a slip of their souls, they felt a strong attraction.”

“The watercolor paintings were a testimony to his life and dreams. She concluded that while she sought a spiritual connection in the teachings of books, he used his art to perceive life from different angles. In that sense, she found him closer to God.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Ecuadorian couple Manuel and Elvira as they pursue better lives for themselves. Manuel is a medicinal herbs merchant who paints watercolors in his free time. In the face of financial hardships, he finds himself making the impossible decision to emigrate to New York to try and support his wife and children who he must leave behind in the meantime. When Elvira tries to join Manuel in New York, she is in a shipwreck that ends up leading her to Madrid where she finds work as a nanny. Throughout the story, we see life through the eyes of both characters in very different parts of the world as they struggle not only the new worlds that they find themselves in but also with the distance between them.

This is Castañeda’s debut novel and I was blown away with his ability to showcase such deeply personal emotions and handle them with beauty and grace as well as his ability to tackle very complex and challenging themes. This story evolves around topics of emigration that are very real for many in the world including the guilt that is felt when leaving loved ones behind, the language barriers and isolation that many feel when leaving their home countries, and much more. I felt that Castañeda did a beautiful job writing all of this in a thought-provoking and, quite frankly,  captivating manner.

I also really enjoyed his capability to weave such colorful descriptions. I felt like I was in the market with Manuel while he sold his herbs or watching him paint his watercolors on the canvases. Castañeda’s vivid descriptions and rich imagery transported me into the world on the page which only made the emotions in this story that much stronger and the pages turn that much faster.

Summary:

Overall, this was a very beautiful and elegant story about the complexities of life that tackled very real topics surrounding the realities of emigration in the pursuit of a better life for you and your family. Full of rich descriptions, love, loss, sacrifice, tenacity, and family, this book could be for anyone who is interested in the deeply honest portrayal of what it means to be human in this world. Happy reading!

Check out Watercolors and Tears here!