Oswald Rivera was born in the fabled town of Ponce, Puerto Rico, which he describes in this novel. His family moved to New York when he was seven years old. He has penned five books: two on food and cooking, and three novels. He is also a devotee of Kung-Fu Wu-Su, which he has practiced for forty years.For this novel, Rivera reflected back upon family stories and lore of the town of Ponce at the beginning and middle of the 20th century. They imprinted in his memory, these tales told by parents, grandparents, family and friends, and people no longer with us who actually lived the experience portrayed in the novel.