This story of love and revolution takes place during the Argentine struggle for independence (1810-1820) and focuses on the character of the national hero, Manuel Belgrano. Belgrano's story is told through the voices of the real heroes of the novel--Maria Kumba a mulatto healer-priestess, fighter, and nurse to the common soldiers; and Gregorio Rivas, mestizo son of a well-to-do Spanish businessman.

Sky of Drums (Cielo de tambores) is filled with political and personal intrigue. At the core of the novel is...

Fiftieth Anniversary Edition

Translated from the Spanish by W. Nick Hill

Introduction by William Luis

Originally published in 1966, Miguel Barnet s Biography of a Runaway Slave provides the written history of the life of Esteban Montejo, who lived as a slave, as a fugitive in the wilderness, and as a soldier fighting against Spain in the Cuban War of Independence. A new introduction by one of the most preeminent Afro-Hispanic scholars, William Luis, situates Barnet s ethnographic strategy and lyrical narrative style as foundational for the tradition of...