BURNING PATIENCE

BURNING PATIENCE by Skarmeta, Antonio. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780394750330.

Burning Patience/The Postman (Il Postino) is a bittersweet tale of first love ignited by the power and passion of Pablo Nerudas timeless poetry. Unlike the other men of his village, Mario balks at the prospect of life as a fisherman, choosing instead to become the postman for a beautiful island, just off the mainland. Although the island has a number of inhabitants, Mario has only one postal customer, the only literate resident, who is also Chiles most beloved poet, Pablo Neruda, who is living in exile. The friendship between the postman and the poet blossoms, Mario begs Neruda for advice on how best to woo the voluptuous young barmaid, Beatriz, with whom Mario has fallen in love. As Neruda tutors him in the finer lessons of love, Mario discovers that he too has a gift for poetry. Soon the island air is thick with the exchange of sensuous metaphors.