Margarita, How Beautiful the Sea (Hardcover, English ed.)

This prize-winning novel depicts half a century of Nicaraguan history, revolving around the life of famed poet Ruben Dario and the intrigues of the group that assassinated the dictator Somoza, and the surprising connections between them.

In his telling of these intermingled histories, Sergio Ramirez encompasses the entire history of his country. The narrative moves along paths 50 years apart, which inevitably converge. The story becomes a fascinating exercise on the power of memory, on the influence of the past, fictitious or not, in the finality of reality. Narrated with Faulknerian wit and humor, this novel examines human frailties while simultaneously exploring the tragic history of Nicaragua and extolling the indominability of the human spirit.

"A total novel about the secret mysteries of science, of poetry and of dictatorships. The beauties of Ruben Dario and the horrors of Somoza intertwine in an unforgettable and absorbing story." -- Tomas Eloy Martinez

"Sergio Ramirez has taken the best ingredients of Nicaraguan history -- dictatorship and poetry, madness and love, conspiracies and con-men -- and cooked them into a masterpiece that will thrill English-language readers as it has those of us who have read "Margarita, How Beautiful the Sea," in Spanish." -- Ariel DorfmanAuthor of more than 25 books of fiction and essays, Sergio Ramirez was born in Masatepe, Nicaragua, in 1942. As a student in the 1950s, he worked for social change, co-founded the literary journal "Ventana," and later became a member of the "Group of Twelve," intellectual supporters of the Sandinista movement. He was Vice President of Nicaragua during the Sandinista regime. During 2000, Mr. Ramirez wasWriter-in-Residence at the University of Maryland. Mr. Ramirez is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Ordre du Chevalier des Artes et Lettres in France.