About The Book
El Capataz (The Foreman) is a love story set against the backdrop of racial and social prejudice. Taking place on a coffee plantation in the central mountainous region of Puerto Rico—where the island’s finest coffee is cultivated—the story follows Angel Luis Santiago, a white plantation owner who rules with an iron fist. His trusted right-hand man is Martín Valentín, El Capataz, a mulatto of few words but great strength, ensuring order among the workers. The two families live in harmony—until Martín’s daughter, Mery, and Angel Luis’s son fall in love.
Their relationship is unacceptable in Angel Luis’s eyes, as he refuses to let his son be involved with someone of mixed race. When the young couple elopes and marries in secret, Mery becomes pregnant and eventually returns to the plantation, seeking refuge. The situation reaches a boiling point when Angel Luis, unable to tolerate their union, secretly takes a pregnant Mery away under the cover of night. He leaves her in the care of a friend in the island’s capital, intending to keep her there until she gives birth. When Mery delivers her twins—a life-threatening labor—fate plays a cruel twist: one baby is born with light skin, the other with dark.
Seeing an opportunity, Angel Luis decides to take the light-skinned boy and raise him as his own, fabricating a story that he was abandoned by a distant cousin. He convinces Mery and her mother that divine intervention has granted both families a way to cope with their circumstances—each receiving a grandson. Weeks later, Mery returns to the plantation, portrayed as a young woman who made a mistake in life. The two boys grow up side by side, unaware they are brothers, yet filled with an intense hatred for each other. As they clash repeatedly, their families struggle to keep their long-buried secret hidden. Matters grow more
complicated when their father finally returns, threatening to unravel everything. Spanning decades, El Capataz weaves historical and cultural events into its
narrative, enriching the story with real-world context. Packed with dramatic confrontations, unexpected twists, and heartbreaking moments, this novel is an emotional rollercoaster that keeps readers engaged until its spectacular and satisfying conclusion.
Other books by the author:
