Juan Francisco Manzano was born in 1797 into the household of wealthy slaveowners in Cuba. He spent his early years at the side of his owner’s wife, entertaining her friends. His poetry was his outlet, reflecting the beauty and cruelty of his world. Written in verse and based on Manzano’s autobiographical notes and poems, The Poet Slave of Cuba creates a portrait of a life in which even the pain of slavery could not extinguish the capacity for hope.