The Cigar Maker by Mark Carlos McGinty

This newly released historical novel by Mark Carlos McGinty is about the struggle for control of the cigar industry in Ybor City at the beginning of the 20th century. 

About the book:  The Cigar City.  The year is 1898.  Young Cuban rebel Salvador Ortiz and his family have escaped the hardship of war-torn Cuba, but the union halls, cigar factories, and dark alleys of Tampa are filled with violence and vendetta.  Salvador must defy constant labor strife and deadly corruption in a one-industry town known for backroom cockfights, street thugs, late-night abductions and mass production of the world's best hand-rolled stogies.  An ideological battle for control of the cigar industry tests Salvador's self-respect and love of hard work as he fights to abandon his rambunctious, outlaw past and lead his proud Cuban family into a colorful immigrant society.  His wish for a peaceful life as a husband, a father, and a man of dignity is threatened by a lawless underworld and a cultural conflict with a dangerous, bloody history. 

Go to www.thecigarmaker.net for more information.

Watch for Bob to review this book in an upcoming DogWatch Cigar Radio show.