Ana Veciana-Suarez
Dulcinea by Ana Veciana-Suarez unfolds in two alternating timelines. The first timeline takes place in the 1570s in Barcelona with Dolca as a young girl who meets and falls in love with Miguel Cervantes. The second timeline takes place in 1616 with Dolca married to a man chosen for her by her parents. Although her husband loves her and although she claims to love him, she cannot shake off her love for Cervantes. The two threads intertwine connected by the illicit on-again, off-again, love affair between Dolca and Miguel.
The focus is on Dolca, her childhood, her married life, and her love affair with Cervantes. They steal time to be together, with Cervantes insisting she run away with him and Dolca insisting she can’t because of her obligations. When Cervantes publishes his Don Quixote to wide acclaim, Dolca is incensed. Because of the close resemblance of her name with Dulcinea, she anticipates she will be associated with his unflattering portrait of Dulcinea. The two lose touch until the now widowed grandmother Dolca receives a letter from the dying Miguel. She embarks on a hazardous journey to see him before he dies.
Veciana-Suarez sets the novel against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition. The strength of the novel lies in the setting. The historical details vividly capture Renaissance Spain. But the characterization is weak and the plot line predictable. The novel reads like a generic historical romance with a self-absorbed protagonist who vacillates between her two loves to the point of becoming tedious. Those hoping for a greater connection with Don Quixote or a more prominent role for Cervantes will be disappointed.