Petra′s Kingdom: the cellar of the house on the lagoon

In her first novel written in English, Puerto Rican writer Rosario Ferré devotes two chapters to Petra Avilés, a descendant of African slaves who plays an integral part in the life of the Elite Puerto Rican family, who live in the mansion on the Alemares Lagoon in San Juan. The house itself is a character in the sprawling multigenerational novel, in which Ferré plays out the saga of Puerto Rico through race, gender, and national identity issues. Petra functions as the matriarch and spiritual leader of the house. From the cellar, through which a mysterious spring flows and where Elleguá is worshipped, Petra functions as the spiritual heir to African traditions, and she influences the fortunes and destinies of the inhabitants of the house.