The Barefoot Queen
ABOUT
THE BOOK
Spain, 1748. Caridad is a recently freed Cuban slave wandering the streets of Seville. Her master is dead and she has nowhere to go. When, by chance, she meets Milagros Carmona-a spellbinding, rebellious gypsy-the two women become inseparable. Caridad is swept into an exotic fringe society full of romance and art, passion and dancing.
But their way of life changes instantly when gypsies are declared outlaws by royal mandate and their world as a free people becomes perilous. The community is split up-some are imprisoned, some forced into hiding, all fearing for their lives. After a dangerous separation, Caridad and Milagros are reunited and join in the gypsies’ struggle for sovereignty against the widespread oppression. It’s a treacherous battle that cannot, and will not, be easily won.
From the bustle of Seville to the theatres of Madrid, The Barefoot Queen is an unforgettable historical fresco filled with characters that live, suffer, and fight for the lives of those they love, and for the freedom they can’t live without.
ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Mara
Faye Lethem
Mara Faye Lethem (New York, 1971) is a writer and translator from Catalan and Spanish. She has lived and worked in both New York and Barcelona, and has translated the likes of Alicia Kopf, Alana S. Portero and Irene Solà. She has won numerous awards including the Nota Bene Prize.
Mara Faye Lethem (New York, 1971) is a writer and translator from Catalan and Spanish. She has lived and worked in both New York and Barcelona, and has translated the likes of Alicia Kopf, Alana S. Portero and Irene Solà. She has won numerous awards including the Nota Bene Prize.
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
The depiction of gypsy life and the morality of the time is very vivid.