On an idyllic Caribbean island just before the outbreak of WWII... three children on the brink of adolescence are growing up in a community solely inhabited by lepers and their caretakers. Whether a powerful priest, an enigmatic nun, or a troubled doctor will win a dangerous power struggle has grave implications for the three youths and their yearning for a different life. In a tale that spans nearly fifteen years and moves from the mystical intrigues of Chacachacare to Cartagena, and finally, to Port of Spain, surprising twists of fate weave, unravel, and at last, bind the three young people together. Land Without Mirrors is at heart a love story--mothers for their children; men for power and fame; and a sweet first love that grows to maturity.

Author Biography

When first published in 2013, Marina Brown's debut novel, Land Without Mirrors, won the President's Gold Medal from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. Her 2017 second novel, Lisbeth, won the Silver Medal for Adult Fiction from the Royal Palm Literary Awards as well as the President's Gold Medal for Literary Fiction from the FAPA. She has won prizes for her short stories and poetry in multiple national competitions including the Lorian Hemingway, the Red Hills Review, and two Firsts Places in the Porter Fleming Short Story Contest. She is also a journalist, writing for several newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat, the Tallahassee Magazine, and three design magazines in Miami. Marina, a former professional ballet dancer with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and American Festival Ballet, continues her love of dance with participation in local tango and flamenco groups. She is also an experienced blue-water sailor, an artist, whose 2017 one-man show, Between Us: Brothers and Sisters, concluded a three-month stay at the historic Union Bank Building, a part of the Meek Eaton Black Archives at FAMU. She speaks three languages, is a registered nurse, and a cellist.