The Playwright's House

SILVER MEDALIST in the 2022 International Latino Book Awards for Best Popular Fiction - English

The Playwright's House by Dariel Suarez is a compelling story that unveils the complexities of familial bonds against the backdrop of Cuban politics. Serguey, a young Cuban lawyer, seems to have an enviable life: he is happily married, has the support of a powerful mentor, and promising career prospects that could take him abroad. However, his world is suddenly disrupted when his estranged brother Victor informs him that their father, the famed theatre director Felipe Blanco, has been detained for what Victor suspects are political reasons.

A return to his childhood home in Havana's decaying suburbs—a place brimming with art, politics, and the remnants of a dissolving family—brings Serguey face-to-face with his troubled past. As he delves into the circumstances surrounding his father's arrest, he learns about an elusive dramaturge connected to Felipe, a figure who might be the key to his father's freedom.

With the aid of a social media activist and leveraging his wife's connections with the Catholic Church, Serguey embarks on a quest to uncover the mystery behind Felipe's detention. In doing so, he must also confront the deep-seated animosity between him and Victor, born from two violent childhood events that left indelible scars.

On the brink of imprisonment himself, Serguey realises that he must make a pivotal decision regarding not just his father but also his family and his own future—a decision that he cannot afford to regret under the oppressive weight of a communist regime.