Lovesick

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Emilia Sauri, a privileged young woman from fin-de-siecle Puebla, is shaped by her eccentric family. Her father, Diego, a Mayan curandero, blends folk remedies with European medicine and is an armchair political enthusiast. Her mother, Josefa, is a devoted wife who loves Zola's novels and prefers emotional healing through her soups. Emilia's aunt, Milagros, a fiery radical, teaches her about the world, politics, and love. Emilia's heart belongs to her childhood friend Daniel Cuenca, Milagros's godson and the son of a doctor who hosts salons for Puebla's intellectuals. As civil war erupts, Daniel becomes involved with various leaders, leading to a series of painful separations and passionate reunions that leave Emilia feeling abandoned yet increasingly devoted. Emilia discovers her talent for healing, studying medicine under her father's guidance, apprenticing with Dr. Cuenca, and eventually training in Chicago. During one of Daniel's absences, she meets Antonio Zavalza, a physician returning to Puebla to establish a hospital. As they work together, Emilia and Dr. Zavalza fall in love, with Zavalza having long admired her from afar.