Brief Summary

In this memorable collection of seven short stories, Nicholasa Mohr celebrates the beauty and resilience of the female spirit. These compelling accounts set in New York City and the Caribbean transcend generational and gender barriers with themes that embrace honor, rites of passage, liberation and death. As these richly textured tales unfold, bringing unforgettable characters to life, the art of Mohr's storytelling has never been more acute... It was a sweltering afternoon in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, in August of 1959. I was twentyone years old and a new bride who had been married one week earlier.

Laying naked under the mosquito netting that was draped over the large four-poster bed, I listened to the low hum of the ceiling fan as it circulated the hot air. I reached toward the foot of the bed, lifted the elaborately hand-embroidered cotton bed cover that had been neatly folded and pulled it over my body. Slowly and mindfully I wiped off the sweat that had accumulated underneath my breasts, and on my stomach and crotch. “God, this must be what living in hell feels like,” I gasped. I needed to go to the bathroom, but I was too hot and uncomfortable to get myself out of bed. I turned my head and saw that my nightgown was lying alongside the empty space beside me. “What a stinking way to spend my honeymoon. Shit!”