Love in the Time of Cholera Summary

An esteemed doctor in the City of the Viceroy, Dr. Juvenal Urbino, finds himself examining the body of a dear friend who chose suicide over aging. Tragedy strikes again when Urbino falls to his death from a mango tree while trying to retrieve his pet parrot. This prompts Florentino Ariza to once again express his undying love and fidelity to the doctor's widow, Fermina Daza, a gesture which she finds deeply offensive sparking her realization of the drama she had instigated when she was just eighteen.

Florentino had met Fermina years ago while delivering a telegram to her notorious father, Lorenzo Daza. This started a troubled but passionate love affair between them which continued even though they only saw each other occasionally. Despite her father's disapproval, Fermina and Florentino communicated via love letters and even planned to marry. However, when Fermina was caught penning a love letter, her father banished her Aunt Escolástica and took Fermina on a long journey hoping to make her forget Florentino. During the journey, Fermina's older cousin, Hildebranda Sánchez, helped them communicate secretly. Unfortunately, upon her return, Fermina felt repulsed by Florentino and decisively ended their relationship.

During the subsequent years, Florentino tried to win Fermina back to no avail, despite his rise to power as the president of the River Company of the Caribbean, a position given to him by his uncle Don Leo XII Loayza. Meanwhile, Fermina was married off to Dr. Urbino by her father, and together they had a child. Despite their facade of a happy marriage, they were in reality quite unhappy, with Dr. Urbino even conducting an affair. Florentino, on the other hand, continued his affairs with numerous women while he patiently waited for Dr. Urbino's death to win Fermina back. Upon Dr. Urbino's death, Florentino once again expressed his love for Fermina, leading to them rekindling their relationship and finally consummating their love on a river voyage. Fearing a scandal, Florentino ordered the ship captain to signal a cholera outbreak forcing the ship to forever cruise the river.