A farewell to Gabo and Mercedes : a son's memoir of Gabriel García Márquez and Mercedes Barcha
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 153-154).

"In March 2014, Gabriel García Márquez, one of the most internationally beloved writers of the 20th century, came down with a cold. He was almost 87 years old, and battling dementia. 'I don't think we'll get out of this one,' Mercedes Barcha, his wife of over fifty years, told Rodrigo, their son. As reality begins to sink in, Rodrigo asks himself, 'Is this how the end begins?' Instead of waiting for an answer, Rodrigo starts to write about the beginning of the end. The resulting pages became A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes -- an intimate and honest account of the last days of a literary genius's life, written by an exceptional witness. Through Rodrigo's measured prose, we are not only reminded of an icon's mortality, but his remarkable humanity. We see the great writer--a master at creating the dramatic arc of an entire life on the page--become a tragic yet charming character of his own right as he and his family come to terms with the end. With A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes, Rodrigo has written not a novel, but a stunning work of reportage. The minute and major snapshots captured--Rodrigo and his brother's discomfort around the public interest in their father's state, Mercedes' reluctant deference to Gabriel's knowing aides, and Gabriel's wry humor at a vulnerable time, when his lucidity is waning--form a diary, distilled by distance and time, but invigorated by introspection. Gabriel savors affection and attention from those in his orbit, but wrestles with what he will lose and what is already lost. And almost always by his side is the charismatic Mercedes, his constant companion and creative muse. The book also honors Rodrigo's late mother, introducing readers to one of the foremost influences of his father's life. Bittersweet and insightful, A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes celebrates the formidable legacy of Rodrigo's parents, offering an unprecedented look at the private family life of a literary giant. It is at once a gift to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's loyal readers, and a grand act of generosity from a writer who knew the man better than most"--,Provided by publisher.