The Festival of San Joaquín

This much-anticipated reissue of a Caribbean feminist classic features a brand-new afterword by celebrated Trinidadian author Celeste Mohammed

“[I]t’s been a long, long time since a book made me cry. Belizean writer Zee Edgell’s The Festival of San Joaquin did that, and honestly I’m not even sure why. I only know that the book is so immersive, so tuned in to the main character’s point of view, that I hurt for her and want things to work out for her . . . Edgell’s writing is alluring in the best way, a garden of words and aromas and emotions, prickly and beautiful . . . [T]his is a masterclass in characterization and perspective . . . A beautiful book, and it hurts, but, amazingly, does not leave you bereft.” —Jhohadli

LUZ MARINA, JAILED FOR THE MURDER OF HER ABUSIVE HUSBAND, returns to her home village, hoping to leave the past behind and win back custody of her children. But first she must reckon with the ill will of her former employer and mother-in-law, the wealthy landowner Doña Catalina, who plots to ruin Luz Marina’s chances of rebuilding her life.

The Festival of San Joaquín, set among the mestizo Spanish communities of rural Belize, gives a sympathetic and moving portrait of peasant life. Zee Edgell was Belize’s foremost writer in her lifetime, and the first Belizean to reach an international audience for her literature. This is a warm and powerful story, a testament to struggle and hope which also addresses wider themes like environmental profiteering and the role of the evangelical church.

This new edition features a brand-new afterword by celebrated Trinidadian author Celeste Mohammed, who lived and practiced law in Belize for a number of years.