This kingdom is yours, Abilio Estévez

At the very heart of Havana, a vast enclosed expanse, teeming with mango trees, soursops, willows, hibiscus, and palm trees: the island. Amidst the trees, mythological statues and, hidden in a corner, the Virgin of Caridad del Cobre, patron saint of Cuba. The estate was divided between the impenetrable Beyond and the Here Below, a vast labyrinth of houses connected by so many islets and patios that their inhabitants managed to get lost, oblivious, moreover, to the proximity of the sea. An eclectic cast of characters: an old professor passionate about English poetry; people carried away by waves of misery and bad luck; a Cassandra called Barefoot Countess; Casta Diva, the singer who perfected her vocalises in the dressing room; Doña Juana, the nonagenarian day and night in her bed, a rosary between her fingers...All, in the stifling heat, await the rain, the end of the world, death. Was the wounded young stranger, wrapped in the Cuban flag, with a bleeding wound on his neck, an envoy from Providence, an angel of the Apocalypse, or Christ in person? On December 31, 1958, a now historic date, Doña Juana reached out and knocked over the candle near the bed, igniting the fire that engulfed the island. At that very moment, President Batista fled and flew to the Dominican Republic...Born in Havana in 1954, Abilio Estévez writes and works for the theater. He is also the author of a collection of poems and short stories. This Kingdom Belongs to You is his first novel