Call Me Cassandra: A Novel

Call Me Cassandra is a novel that follows the life of Rauli, a ten-year-old boy who lives in a hostile world and is the reincarnation of the Trojan princess Cassandra. He is burdened with knowledge of tragedies yet to come, but strives to know himself.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2023
Publisher: St Martin's Press

Ten-year-old Rauli's life is a constant struggle in a harsh world. His older brother is violent, his father is unfaithful, and his intelligence and sensitivity make him an outcast among his peers. Despite his love for reading, especially Greek myths, novels and gods are dangerous in Cuba during the 1970s. Despite the warnings to repress and fear his true self, Rauli knows three things to be true: he was born in the wrong body, he will die at the age of eighteen as a soldier in the Cuban intervention in Angola, and he is the reincarnation of the Trojan princess Cassandra.

The novel spans Rauli's childhood and adolescence, taking him from the Angolan battlefield to the Cuban city of Cienfuegos and the shores of ancient Troy. It tells the story of his search for identity amidst the collapse of Cuba's utopian dreams. Burdened with knowledge of tragedies yet to come, Rauli nonetheless strives to know himself.

Marcial Galas Call Me Cassandra is a lyrical and gritty tale, filled with heartache and luminous moments. Rauli is a captivating character, whose story is a testament to the inexorable pull of destiny. The novel explores themes of identity, fate, and the consequences of our choices, and leaves readers with a profound sense of empathy and understanding.

Weight: 300g
Dimension: 208 x 135 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781250863003