Set in Spain in the mid-1700s, The Barefoot Queen revolves around three principal characters: Caridad, a slave from a Cuban tobacco plantation whose master frees her just before he dies on their voyage to Spain; Melchor Vega, an older gypsy man who smuggles tobacco for a living; and his granddaughter Milagros, who learns to sing and dance to traditional gypsy music and earns money for her family with her talents.
Fresh off the boat, Caridad is lost in the city of Seville. Melchor eventually befriends her and sets her to work making cigars. Milagros, drawn to the sad black woman who hums quietly while she works, learns to sing with Caridad. Their friendship quickly blossoms, and the two women share secrets that eventually lead to regrettable actions.
Meanwhile, the King of Spain declares all gypsies are outlaws; some are imprisoned, while others go into hiding on the Portuguese border. The community is torn apart, and the paths of Caridad, Milagros and Melchor continually diverge and reconnect over several years. They struggle to understand the value of love, friendship, family and honor while murder, intrigue and conspiracy circle around them. Fascinating bits of history add to the story, told in vivid prose, about a clan of gypsies--their food and drink, music and dance, lusty dreams and desires--and the snobbery and racism that the aristocrats of Spain felt toward them.
Though his switches in perspective can sometimes be jarring, Ildefonso Falcones (Cathedral of the Sea; The Hand of Fatima) has written a sensual, passion-filled historical romance that ends most satisfactorily. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer