The Cigar Maker

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.

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Awards….

The Cigar Maker has won the following awards:

*Bronze Medal – 2011 Independent Publisher Book Awards, Historical Fiction Category

*Finalist – 2010 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, Historical Fiction

*Finalist – 2011 National Indie Excellence Book Awards, Historical Fiction

*Honorable Mention – 2010 New England Book Festival, General Fiction

*Honorable Mention – 2010 London Book Festival, General Fiction

 Reviews

“McGinty creates a vibrant, hectic and exciting atmosphere as he describes the bolita games, cock fighting and the constant struggle between immigrant workers and the ‘Captains’ of the cigar industry.” –-The Tampa Examiner

“5 stars. The Cigar Maker is a fine read. Highly recommended.” –Midwest Book Review

“An epic American novel…Painstakingly researched and lovingly crafted….The writing is beautiful, the characters lively, and the settings awash with visceral historical detail.” –-Small Press Reviews

“McGinty’s writing is deliberate, informed, and interesting, and he pays homage not only to the family history that inspired the writing, but to the larger American tale of which The Cigar Maker is part. He weaves together a tale that makes for intensely interesting reading; a mixture of The Godfather, The Buena Vista Social Club, Scarface, and The Waltons, there are story lines here for a wide variety of readers. Mixing history, fiction, and the crucial work that myths and old family tales does on our private and communal lives, The Cigar Maker earns a 99.” –The Smoking Poet

“Equal parts history and fiction, The Cigar Maker captures the true spirit of Ybor City. You can practically hear the crowds, smell the tobacco and taste the cafe con leche.”
-Rodney Kite-Powell, Curator Tampa Bay History Center

“There’s a lot of action. I was having a hard time putting it down.”
-Cigar Inspector

“McGinty creates a vibrant, hectic and exciting atmosphere as he describes such things as bolita games, cock fighting and the constant struggle between immigrant workers and captains of the cigar industry.”
-Tampa Cigar Examiner

“We get beautiful glimpses of Cuban culture and Cuban society. We learn of the common people who never lead charges, build skyscrapers, or become captains of industry, and yet are quietly heroic as they sacrifice for their families and their children’s future.”
-The Historical Novel Review

“An amazing story that bring to life a small and almost forgotten piece of history. The Cigar Maker will captivate you.”
-Page Readers

“An adventure in reading!”
-Book Snob