Explosion in a Cathedral

Explosion in a Cathedral by Carpentier, Alejo. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780816638086.

This swashbuckling tale set in the Caribbean during the French Revolution focuses on Victor Hugues, a historical figure who led the naval assault to take back the island of Guadeloupe from the English at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In Carpentiers story, this charismatic pirate and revolutionary enters the lives of the wealthy orphans Esteban and Sofia and casts them abruptly into the midst of immense changes sweeping the world outside their Havana mansion.