I started reading this novel at the beginning of the year but near the end I felt it was too sad and left it for about a week. The Living Infinite by Chantel Acevedo is historical fiction about an actual Spanish princess from the late 19th Century, the Infanta Eulalia, and explores parts of her life. Although the blurb talks about her royal trip to Cuba and America, that comes in about half way through the book. At the start we meet Eulalia’s wet nurse, Amalia, who has to leave her husband in the countryside where they live, to work and stay in the palace in Madrid. This part of the story is told from Amalia’s point of view during the two years she is at the palace in the 1860’s; We see her settle in, meet Eulalia as a baby and the other royal children; She brings along her own baby son, Tomas, but she has a love for Eulalia and the palace which she compares to her own less luxurious home. The story follows Amalia when she returns home in and to delicate circumstances. There are two distinct areas of melancholy in this first section of the book.
The next part focuses alternately on Eulalia growing up in Europe and Tomas, Amalia’s now grown-up son; It is told in a looking back reflective style. We hear about Tomas being educated thanks to the royal family but after some self-doubt he drops out of university and drifts. A lot of the book from here is through Tomas’ eyes, and Eulalia’s as well. I found Eulalia’s upbringing and life interesting and curious. It was only near the end of the book that I checked whether she was a real person and she was, one of the last of the Bourbon Monarchy in Spain. There’s a bloody conflict which happens in the background and affects her and her family and there is a scandal revealed in the first section and this part of the book. Eulalia was even a rebel as a child and I have to confess I didn’t like her then but as she grew up I sympathised more with her. We learn about the restrictions placed on them all, the loss she encounters and the duty and duties she is expected to perform which is so repellent to her. Also depicted is her rebellion against the rules and strictures, and her belief in a more democratic rule.
Finally, in the last section, Eulalia and Tomas meet at his bookstore and he helps her sell her tell all memoir to a publisher. They both go separately to Cuba and America, Eulalia on a royal tour with her husband, and Tomas goes to see the world and to help sell Eulalia’s manuscript. They happen to meet in Cuba and have some time together where they get to know each other better. He joins her in an official capacity after Cuba and on the way to and in America. Cuba is an important part of the book: a secret is revealed, Eulalia and Tomas connect, and Eulalia struggles in her marriage but feels inspired by the Cuban fight for independence. In America there are up and downs for both characters and they find America has much to offer then both. I found this a sad story overall as there is loss, heartbreak and some hardship. It’s not in a horrific way mostly or gripping but it was generally sad. Despite this it was written in a lovely way and was very lyrical. I liked the history of Spain which I didn’t know that much about for the period, having a real historical ‘personage’ was fun and learning about her upbringing, life and opinions, as well as her rebelliousness was intriguing. I also loved the descriptions of Eulalia and Tomas as babies in the palace which was so charming I could really picture them. I was a bit disappointed that while Eulalia was real, others such as Tomas and his mother Amalia were made up. Such are the intricacies of fiction. I was also curious about some of the Spanish endearments. The difference between Eulalia’s station in life and Tomas’ is contrasted yet despite this Eulalia is restricted as a woman and a princess. Overall, it was unique and historical, told from different viewpoints, and was revealing about royal life and the realities behind the luxury and privilege.
Readable 