First published 2000
Constanza steps onto a train bound for Brussels in the late 1920s, her beauty matched only by her determination to start fresh with a new husband. Her young daughter travels alongside her, destined for England and whatever future awaits there. The rhythm of the rails carries them through autumn landscapes toward their separate destinies. Then something unexpected happens during their journey. A strange incident forces Constanza to make a choice that will reshape everything she planned. The decision ripples outward, altering not just her own path but her daughter's as well. What began as a simple train ride becomes the moment when two lives pivot toward an uncertain future. Constanza must live with the consequences of what she chose in that instant, while her daughter grows up shaped by forces beyond her control.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Belgium, Brussels, England
Period: 1920s
320 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books Ltd.