The sugar master
The sugar master is a romantic historical novel written by management computer scientist and social educator Mayte Uceda. The work was published in 2024 thanks to the Planeta publishing house, under its collection Spanish and Ibero-American Authors. Since its release, the book has had mostly positive reviews on platforms such as Goodreads, where it has 4.25 stars.
Likewise, on Amazon, the store that would see Mayte Uceda born as a published author, The sugar master It has 4.2 stars. Readers have praised the theme, the descriptions about the setting, and, above all, the characters, who have had a hard time letting go, given the affection that the writer has provoked in them.
Synopsis of The sugar master
Two sisters made by life
The novel is set in northern Spain, in 1895, a time in which its protagonists share the shortcomings of being a woman. and a destiny that will transform their lives forever. On the one hand, there is Mar, the daughter of the town doctor, and on the other, Paulina, a young widow of very humble origins.
Both are forced to leave the peaceful town of Colombres to travel to the distant island of cuba. Mar does it because he wants to follow his father in his profession, when he is called to run a practice on a sugar plantation called Dos Hermanos. Paulina, in her position as a woman without resources, does it because she is forced to marry the prestigious sugar master of the hacienda, a gentleman whom she does not know, not even by sight. The two travel full of uncertainty, which reinforces their alliance.
What a girl wants
Mar is a single, cultured, well-mannered lady, but she does not want to get married, at least, not by social imposition. She, who lives helping her father giving enemas, fixing broken bones and healing wounds, the only thing she really wants is to be a doctor. Her father and her two male siblings are, but she is held back by her gender, as is her mother, who is a talented pharmacist of herbal medicines.
Paulina constantly resorts to the question of whether she will be happy with her imminent husband, whom she cannot reject because of his social position, which, by changing, will be able to help her family. In addition to a very similar destiny, These two women share feelings of loyalty and love towards the members of their lineage., what moves them and makes them react, and what, at the same time, tests them and takes them out of their comfort zone.
Gender narrative
From the first pages of The sugar master You can notice a very specific direction about the conflict. This is a historical novel, yes, but, at the same time, it is a plot of characters, where what they feel and want is what develops the action. Under this premise, Mayte Uceda creates a narrative where the value of women is extremely relevant.
The sugar master reveals the desires for improvement and control over one's own life. At first, Mar complains about not being able to attend university solely because she is a woman, while Father Galo visits his family to offer the girl the possibility of marrying the hacienda's craftsman. She does not refuse out of arrogance, but to safeguard her autonomy.
The presence of the exotic city
Choosing Cuba as the setting for the novel does not seem to be a random event. In the 19th century, the Caribbean country still belonged to the Spanish crown, and it was due to its designs, but Spain was being revolted by its own social and political conflicts., with young men who escaped to other latitudes for fear of having to serve in the mandatory military for ten years.
Meanwhile, Cuba was a prominent land, where the most splendid sugar of the new continent grew. Foreigners dreamed of it, its humid climate and its sunny days. Or, at least, that's what the wealthy whites did, who had Creoles, mestizos and Afros in their services. Cuba was ready for its independence, although the people who lived there were not so prepared.
The portrait of an era
Historical fictions are a great opportunity to carry out an analysis of the behavior of humanity during a certain time, as well as in a specific place. In this case, Mayte Uceda makes the protagonists of her story take the reins of their own existence, turns them into exceptional women and puts them in front of a cast of other women who will see themselves reflected in them, but also others who will be their staunchest adversaries.
Likewise, the prevailing role of men plays a fundamental role, especially because a few use their power to fight for greater equality for women, while advocating for the most unprotected on the sugar estate. On the other hand, The villains, both men and women, make up the double standards of an era, and are portrayed with the most extreme realism..
About the author
Mayte Uceda was born in 1967, in Asturias, Spain. Later, she moved to Madrid, where she has lived for much of her life. He graduated in Management Informatics, and specialized in Social Education. Likewise, she is a music lover: she plays the guitar and composes songs. In fact, in the nineties she was a member of a musical group.
Like some of today's writers, Uceda became known after publishing her first novel through Amazon, platform where he positioned himself in the top sales places thanks to the commercial success of his work. The book follows a love story with paranormal overtones that includes supernatural beings, which has captivated both critics and readers.
Other books by Mayte Uceda
- Los Angeles de La Torre (2013);
- A love for Rebeca (2014);
- Alice and the infinite monkey theorem (2016);
- The guardian of the tide (2021)