About This Book
A devout woman finds herself adrift in late nineteenth–century Central America in this novel of "deep imagination, stylistic verve, and psychological acuity" (The Washington Post).
Set in late nineteenth century Central America and New York City, The Divine Husband tells the story of MarÃa de las Nieves Moran, whose brief career as a nun is ended in the wake of revolution. Forced to make her way in the secular world, MarÃa is surrounded by an unforgettable cast of characters: José MartÃ, the poet and hero of Cuban independence and the first man MarÃa loves; Mack Chinchilla, the Yankee-Indio entrepreneur intent on winning her hand; a British diplomat setting up a political impostor plot; and Mathilde, the daughter whose birth—perhaps fathered by one of these men—ruins MarÃa's reputation and launches her on a journey toward a new future.
This joyfully imagined novel of ideas is populated by Indian girls, wandering Jewish coffee farmers, the founder of the rubber-balloon industry, and one of Latin America's greatest and most complex men. Written by Pulitzer Prize–finalist Francisco Goldman, The Divine Husband is a sweeping, poetic novel rich in historical detail and vivid characterization.
"Goldman echoes Flaubert, GarcÃa Marquez, and even DeLillo." —Bookforum
