While many readers appreciate the richness of Alvarez’s prose, some reviewers on Goodreads
The speaker realizes that true love is not about possession or physical closeness, but about spiritual alignment. The "divine" aspect enters when the speaker understands that love requires sacrifice. In the context of Alvarez’s usual themes, this is often a moment of cultural or personal awakening—realizing that to love truly, one must lose one's ego. amor divino julia alvarez summary repack