Praise for The Miracle of Saint Lazarus
“Readers of The Miracle of Saint Lazarus: A Mystery Twenty Year in the Making will enter, by the hand of Cuban American writer Uva de Aragón, into a world of police and literary mysteries. The paths of her detective Maria Duquesne and my character Mario Conde will intersect in an amusing fictional game that builds one more bridge between two shores of Cuban culture.”
—Leonardo Padura, Cuban author of Grab a Snake by the Tail and The Man Who Loved Dogs
“A dead man. A missing baby. A few shadowy characters. And a mother who has never stopped looking for her daughter. With these elements, Uva de Aragón builds a fast-faced novel that has a strong sense of place (you’ll feel you are in Miami, drinking Cuban coffee) and nuanced, sympathetic characters. Plus, a healthy serving of Cuban food. When detective Maria Duquesne is assigned a cold case, she chooses a young assistant, Ivan Fernandez, to help her with the investigation. Its twists and turns take them back to the Mariel Boatlift days, with a hop to today’s New York. This is a solid mystery with an impeccable ending that will hook you from the first line.”
—Teresa Dovalpage, professor of Spanish and ESL, New Mexico Junior College, novelist, and author of, among others, the detective novel Death Comes in through the Kitchen
“Uva de Aragón’s The Miracle of Saint Lazarus chronicles the extraordinary growth of the Hispanic—and particularly the Cuban—population in Miami-Dade County since the 1960s. The author skillfully constructs the character of the Cuban American detective Maria Duquesne and follows her quest for clues to solve the ‘cold case’ of a 1992 car accident and the mysterious disappearance of a five-week-old baby. As part of the background for her main storyline, Aragón lovingly describes the traditional food habits, Spanish language, religious devotions, family relations, and other cultural practices that distinguish Miami as the capital of Cuban exile. As a result, the novel can be read as an insightful portrayal of a changing, complex, and diverse community as well as a whodunit.”
—Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Research Institute, Florida International University
“The Miracle of Saint Lazarus: A Mystery Twenty Years in the Making is Uva de Aragón’s second major work of fiction appearing in English translation. It follows on the heels of her widely acclaimed novel, The Memory of Silence, and, given the mastery of her writing and her artful exploration of the mysteries of human existence, it most certainly will help grow her ever-increasing circle of readers. The Miracle of Saint Lazarus skillfully retains all the major elements of a finely structured whodunit thriller. Yet it is more than a crime novel. Deeply anchored in Miami’s richly diverse Hispanic culture, the book offers a compelling study of the exilic condition and the pain of banishment, dislocation, and dispossession.
“While trying to unravel a murder mystery and the inexplicable disappearance of a baby girl, Maria Duquesne, a second-generation Cuban detective, does more than solve a cold case. Her detective work compels her to examine her own life and identity, as well as recognize the power of witness testimony. The investigation also reveals how people intent on retaining control over their own lives were compelled to uproot and start again in a new land replete with different practices, customs, language, and values, and it shows how essential it is for exiles, refugees, and immigrants to communicate to subsequent generations their first-hand experiences of totalitarian repression. Impressively translated into English by Kathleen Bulger-Barnett and Jeffrey C. Barnett, Uva de Aragón’s novel is a timely meditation on otherness and empathy.”
—Asher Z. Milbauer, professor in the Department of English and director of The Exile Studies Certificate Program, Florida International University
“Uva de Aragón debuts in the genre of detective novels with Maria Duquesne, a rich, colorful character which will surely become legendary in the history of Cuban American literature. Duquesne, although universal, maintains her cubanidad with her love for expresso coffee, a great sense of humor, and her deep family values. The Miracle of Saint Lazarus is an excellent mystery novel with all the traditional elements of the genre, plus the originality of delving into the life of the city of Miami with its kaleidoscope of nationalities.”
—Marlene Moleón, publisher and editor, Eriginal Books
“If The Miracle of Saint Lazarus: A Mystery Twenty Year in the Making is published in English, it probably will become a bestseller, and, even more, be turned into a series or a movie. It is a whodunit or mystery novel that grips the reader from the first page to the last one.”
—Olga Connor, Journalist, El Nuevo Herald
THE
MIRACLE
OF
SAINT
LAZARUS
A MYSTERY TWENTY YEARS
IN THE MAKING
Uva de Aragón
Translated by
Kathleen D. Bulger-Barnett and Jeffrey C. Barnett
[no image in epub file]
Coral Gables
Copyright © 2019 by Uva de Aragón.
Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.
© Uva de Aragón, 2016. El Milagro de San Lázaro: Un misterio de más de veinte años. Eriginal Books.
© Uva de Aragón, Jeffrey C. Barnett, Kathleen D. Bulger-Barnett, 2018.
The Miracle of Saint Lazarus: A Mystery Twenty Years in the Making.
By Uva de Aragón. Trans. by Kathleen Bulger-Barnett and Jeffrey C. Barnett.
Author photo credit: Wenceslao Cruz
Cover Design: Jayoung Hong
Cover Photo/illustration: Filipchuk Oleg/Shutterstock
Layout & Design: Jayoung Hong
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The Miracle of Saint Lazarus: A Mystery Twenty Years in the Making
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2019944229
ISBN: (p) 978-1-64250-124-7 (e) 978-1-64250-125-4
BISAC category code FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
Printed in the United States of America
To Mario Conde, for inspiring me
Contents