Answer: Alvarez explains how her mother's reaction to her novel provoked a rare moment of peace between them
Step-by-step explanation:
From the story, we can infer that Alvarez mother wasn't in support of him writing a novel which he eventually wrote and then sent to his mother an expected her to react angrily.
But surprisingly, the mum wasn't surprised but rather praised him. Alvarez was astonished relishing her praise and listening to her cry. Therefore, the author developed the central idea across these paragraphs as Alvarez explains how her mother's reaction to her novel provoked a rare moment of peace between them.