Ginga was an unforgettable queen in Angola during the 17th century; determined warrior, lucid and cunning ruler; she rebuilt her kingdom several times, commanded armies, negotiated and battled the great powers and other African rulers. She had a fiery and voracious private life and until her final days she was the owner of her destiny. In this novel, Jose Eduardo Agualusa reclaims such an unknown and unforgettable character with the hand of a born priest in Pernambuco, narrating the history of Ginga. Going inside a hidden territory and captivated by a form of life that he never imagined, through his eyes we discover a sensual world, vital and raw, where despite the cruelty, the greed and relentless rules of power, hides the possibility for love and beauty.