One Brilliant Flame, Joy Castro
One Brilliant Flame, Joy Castro
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One Brilliant Flame

Author: Joy Castro

Narrator: Krysta Gonzales, Tania Possick, Frankie Corzo, Gary Tiedemann, Jonathan Villanueva, Andre Santana

Unabridged: 9 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/03/2023

Synopsis

A nineteenth-century utopia becomes a powder keg of political intrigue and betrayal in an enthralling historical novel—inspired by actual events—by the author of Flight Risk.Key West, 1886. The booming cigar industry makes it the most prosperous city in Florida. As a rebel base for the anticolonial insurgency in Cuba, it’s also a tinderbox for six young friends with ambitious dreams.They all brim with secrets: Zenaida, the daughter of an assassinated Havana journalist; power-hungry Sofia, who plots a fast track to success; Chaveta, Zenaida’s loyal comrade in arms who fearlessly flouts tradition; Feliciano, a charismatic Spanish anarchist; Líbano, the cafetero, silent and watchful; and Maceo, a daring guerrilla soldier who fights a brutal undertow. As lives intertwine, revolution smolders, and passions ignite, the bustling coral island is set to explode.Against the backdrop of the Great Fire of Key West, One Brilliant Flame explores the luminous fates of consuming passion and encroaching peril in the face of insurrection, sacrifice, and inextinguishable hope.

About Joy Castro

Joy Castro is the award-winning author of Flight Risk, a finalist for a 2022 International Thriller Award; the post-Katrina New Orleans literary thrillers Hell or High Water, which received the Nebraska Book Award, and Nearer Home; the story collection How Winter Began; the memoir The Truth Book; and the essay collection Island of Bones, which received the International Latino Book Award. She is also the editor of the anthology Family Trouble and served as the guest judge of CRAFT’s first Creative Nonfiction Award. Her work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Senses of Cinema, Ploughshares, Gulf Coast, Brevity, and Afro-Hispanic Review; on Salon; and elsewhere. A former writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt University, she is currently the Willa Cather Professor of English and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where she directs the Institute for Ethnic Studies. For more information visit www.joycastro.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by pattrice on March 31, 2023

Joy Castro is one of my favorite writers because of the way that she so subtly weaves quite complex political analyses and an almost eerie level of insight into human psyches into captivating stories. I worry a little that the publisher's description of this book might make potential readers imagine......more

Goodreads review by Heather on December 31, 2022

This is a character driven history of a time in Key West and Cuba. The readers hired for the cigar rolling factories are something I knew nothing about. Three girl friends of different socioeconomic backgrounds showcase the political upheaval and the social classes. The men as main characters are as......more

Goodreads review by Sheila on April 01, 2023

Castro creates a vivid picture of Key West at the turn of the century, addressing the difficulties of colonial rule on Cuba and those who escaped their oppressors. The multi-narrator format allowed the reader insight into the various economic classes on the island; however, I think it would have bee......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on April 03, 2023

Read this book for Read Across the US challenge. It was ok. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. I didn’t know any kind of history of Key West and Cuba and did find that somewhat interesting but didn’t connect with any of the characters.......more

Goodreads review by Georgina on February 01, 2023

Had no idea what to expect but enjoyed learning more of the Cubans history in USA. I was surprised how late the Spanish influence was there, but thinking about the british empire, I shouldn’t have been.......more

Quotes

“[A]rtfully performed by a team of talented narrators: Krista Gonzales, Tania Possick, Frankie Corzo, Gary Tiedemann, Jonathan Villanueva, and Andre Santana. With impressive production values, this impressively performed audio book…will have a very special appeal to listeners with an interest in historical Caribbean/Hispanic American literature.” —Midwest Book Review“This is a fascinating, informative, and important read.” —Booklist“Suspenseful and steeped in history, Joy Castro’s One Brilliant Flame transports readers to a vibrant nineteenth-century Key West, one stoked by revolution in Cuba and inflamed by the passions of striking young characters. Castro’s novel beautifully illuminates a largely forgotten history in a memorable and compelling light. I learned so much, but more importantly, I couldn’t put it down.” —Chantel Acevedo, author of The Distant Marvels

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