Prospero's Daughter

More about the book

In this spellbinding novel by Elizabeth Nunez, a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest unfolds on a lush Caribbean island amid rising tensions between the native population and British colonists. The narrative delves into themes of race, class, and power, focusing on the coming-of-age story of a boy and a girl who challenge societal taboos. Chacachacare, cut off from Trinidad by a shimmering sea, is home to a leper colony and a British doctor, Peter Gardner, who fled England with his young daughter, Virginia. An amoral genius, Peter uses his talents for unethical experiments, often with deadly consequences. After being blackmailed by his brother, he finds himself on this isolated island as the British Empire begins to decline. On Chacachacare, Peter primarily experiments on the local flora and the dark-skinned orphan Carlos, whose home he usurps. Despite viewing Carlos as little more than a savage, Peter educates him alongside Virginia. As they grow up together, Carlos and Virginia develop a deep, secret bond. When Peter uncovers their connection and falsely accuses Carlos of a grave crime, a brusque English inspector is tasked with uncovering the truth. His investigation reveals unsettling secrets, ultimately bringing a monstrous reality to light.