9798235721418_

"Where the Sea Forbids" is inspired by the unspoken histories of these islands—the ancestral spirits that demand reverence, the colonial ghosts that refuse to rest, and the children left to navigate the wreckage. It is a tribute to the traditions of my Afro-Caribbean roots, the sacred drums, and the sweet sting of rum. But above all, it is a story of love. A love that refuses to bow to the boundaries drawn by greedy men. It is for anyone who has ever been told that their love is impossible, a sin, or a betrayal, only to find that love is the only true religion we have.

Dedication

For the lovers who meet in the shadows of the shoreline.

For the ancestors whose tears salted the ocean. May the drums beat louder than the bells. May your hearts remain

wild, untamed, and free.

Introduction

The island of Sainte-Miracle sits like a lush green emerald suspended in a sapphire sea. It is a place where the air is eternally thick with the fragrance of sea spray, wild hibiscus, and the sharp tang of fermenting molasses. On this island, there are two distinct worlds, separated by a steep ridge of limestone and two hundred years of bitterness.

High on the hill sits the sprawling estate of Les Colombes, dominated by a magnificent French-Creole mansion. This is the domain of the Beaumont family, led by the stern, unyielding Monsieur Aurélien Beaumont. The Beaumonts are staunchly Catholic, proud of their European heritage, and fiercely protective of their vast hotel and sugar cane empire. To them, the island is a resource to be managed, a kingdom to be ruled. Soléne, Aurélien's daughter, has been raised behind these gilded, wrought-iron gates, groomed for a life of quiet, pious luxury.

Down by the crashing surf lies the village of Ti-Bord. Here, the houses are built of weathered wood and tin roofs, painted in sun-faded pastels. The air smells of gutted fish, salt, and kerosene lamps. This is the world of Elián. Raised by his Grand-mère Yaya, a revered Mambo in the local Vodou tradition, Elián knows the sea just as well as he knows the loa—the spirits who guide their lives. The people of Ti-Bord are the descendants of those who worked the Beaumont land in chains.

For four generations, a blood feud has raged between the Beaumonts and the families of Ti-Bord over a vast tract of coastal land, stolen through deceit and violence. The Beaumonts built their wealth on this theft. The families below never forgot. In a place so small, where every glance carries the weight of history, a union between a Beaumont daughter and a fisherman's son is not merely a scandal. It is a declaration of war.

WHERE THE SEA FORBIDS: A Caribean Romance

Comentarios