“Thisisabeautifulfarewelltotwoextraordinarypeople.Itenthralledandmovedme,anditwillmoveandenthrallanyonewhohaseverenteredthegloriousliteraryworldofGabrielGarc穩aM獺rquez.“--SalmanRushdie“InAFarewelltoGaboandMercedesRodrigoGarciafindsthewordsthatcannotbesaid,themomentsthatsignalallthatispossibletoknowaboutthepassagefromlifetodeath,fromwhatlovebringsandthelossitleaves.Withdetailsasrichasanygiantbiography,youwillfindyourselfgrievingasyouread,gratefulfortheprofoundartthatremainsapartofourculturalheritage.“--WalterMosley,NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofDowntheRiverUntotheSea“Anintenselypersonalreflectionon[Garcia’s]father’slegacyandhisfamilybonds,tenderinitstreatmentandstirringinitsbrevity.“--Booklist(starredreview)Thesonofoneofthegreatestwritersofourtime--NobelPrizewinnerandinternationallybestsellingiconGabrielGarc穩aM獺rquez--remembershisbelovedfatherandmotherinthistendermemoiraboutloveandloss.InMarch2014,GabrielGarc穩aM獺rquez,oneofthemostacclaimedwritersofthetwentiethcentury,camedownwithacold.Thewomanwhohadbeenbesidehimformorethanfiftyyears,hiswifeMercedesBarcha,wasnothopeful;herhusband,affectionatelyknownas“Gabo,“wasthennearly87andbattlingdementia.Idon’tthinkwe’llgetoutofthisone,shetoldtheirsonRodrigo.Hearinghismother’swords,Rodrigowondered,“Isthishowtheendbegins?“Tomakesenseofeventsastheyunfolded,hebegantowritethestoryofGarc穩aM獺rquez’sfinaldays.Theresultisthisintimateandhonestaccountthatnotonlycontemplateshisfather’smortalitybutrevealshisremarkablehumanity.Bothanilluminatingmemoirandaheartbreakingworkofreportage,AFarewelltoGaboandMercedestransformsthistoweringgeniusfromliterarycreatortoprotagonist,andpaintsarichandrevelatoryportraitofafamilycopingwithloss.Atitscenterisamanathismostvulnerable,whosewryhumorshinesevenashisluciditywanes.Gabosavorsaffectionandattentionfromthoseinhisorbit,butwrestleswithwhathewilllose--andwhatisalreadylost.ThroughouthisfinaljourneyisthecharismaticMercedes,hisconstantcompanionandthecreativemusewhowasoneoftheforemostinfluencesonGabo’slifeandhisart.Bittersweetandinsightful,surprisingandpowerful,AFarewelltoGaboandMercedescelebratestheformidablelegacyofRodrigo’sparents,offeringanunprecedentedlookattheprivatefamilylifeofaliterarygiant.ItisatonceagifttoGabrielGarc穩aM獺rquez’sreadersworldwide,andagrandtributefromawriterwhoknewhimwell.“Youreadthisshortmemoirwithafeelingofdeepgratitude.Yes,itisamovinghomagebyasontohisextraordinaryparents,butalsomuchmore:itisarevelationofthehiddencornersofafascinatinglife.AFarewelltoGaboandMercedesisgenerous,unsentimentalandwise.“--JuanGabrielV獺squez,authorofTheSoundofThingsFalling“Awarmhomagefilledwithbothfondandpainfulmemories.“--Kirkus“Garcia’slimpidprosegazescalmlyatdeath,registeringpainbutnotbeingovercomebyit...theresultisamovingeulogythatwillcaptivatefansoftheliterarylion.“--PublishersWeekly
