Secrets of Pagua Bay
Some secrets are buried in ash
“The fire that consumed the little house on Pagua Bay took everything—the lovers, the truth, and the peace of an entire village.”
Deborah Balthazar
The Novel
A forbidden love.
A deadly fire.
A village's silence.
In the lush coastal village of Pagua Bay, Dominica, Vick Dorado—the privileged son of a wealthy Indian family—and Ann, a Kalinago woman from the Bataka community, fall deeply in love despite the rigid boundaries of race and class.
When a suspicious fire consumes their home and claims both their lives, the authorities call it an accident. But the village knows better. Among the mourners at the Nine Night vigil, whispers of arson and murder grow louder, and a young woman named Rita begins to ask the questions no one else dares to voice.
Through voices alive with Dominican Creole, the rhythms of calypso, and the weight of centuries-old traditions, Secrets of Pagua Bay unravels a mystery that reaches into the heart of what it means to love, to belong, and to fight for the truth.
“In Pagua Bay, everybody know everybody business. But some business, people choose not to see.”
— Ma Dorado
“The dead deserve truth. Even when the living are afraid of it.”
— Rita
Enter the World of Pagua Bay
Explore the village, meet the characters, and discover the rich tapestry of Dominican culture—from Kalinago traditions to the creole rhythms of island life.
The Author
Deborah Balthazar
Born in Dominica and educated in Toronto, Deborah Balthazar brings the vibrant oral traditions of the Caribbean to the page. Secrets of Pagua Bay is her debut novel—a story drawn from the landscapes, languages, and lives she grew up surrounded by.
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