Written over a span of twenty-seven years, and now being published in close succession, The Caribbean Trilogy depicts an eccentric cast of characters in a lush tropical setting. Despite her travels throughout the world, Chiara marvels at the island of Canuba, where ‘magic realism is everyday life.’ Presented on a three-level stage, Return to Dawn recounts the eventful lives of the musician and agronomist Alfonso, the devious politician Ángel María, and the ‘failed saint’ Gustavo. In the end, only Chiara and the mysterious mambo Diana find the courage to surmount the darker side of paradise.