Soledad

SOLEDAD BY EDUARDO ACEVEDO DÍAZ

Translated by Kathryn Phillips-Miles and Simon Deefholts

Soledad is the young daughter of Don Brígido Montiel, a ranch-owner based in a remote part of Uruguay, surrounded by mountains and forests. Her father has promised her hand in marriage to his Brazilian business partner, Don Manduca Pintos, the owner of a nearby ranch, who is well advanced in age.

Pablo Luna is a young gaucho living in a delapidated cabin in the forest, close to Montiel's ranch. He has had several unpleasant encounters with Montiel, who has labelled him as a layabout and a thief. He also has a mysterious relationship with a deranged old woman who has been reduced to living rough in the forest after being summarily dismissed from Manduca's ranch. He buries her with great ceremony when she is torn to pieces by a pack of wild dogs.

One day Soledad and Pablo meet by chance in the forest and the mutual attraction is immediate. After they are discovered by Montiel who viciously assaults Pablo, all hell breaks loose when the gaucho takes his revenge.