Day of the Kings

Inspired by actual events, Day of the Kings tells the little-known story of Enriquetta Faber, a courageous woman living a dangerous lie. In early 1800s Cuba, it is illegal for women to practice medicine. So Faber, the widow of a French surgeon, disguises herself as a man and becomes a respected doctor with a thriving practice. Faber negotiates the harsh extremes of Cuban society and realizes she is not the only one living a lie and breaking taboos. Hector Nunez is the owner of a large plantation. His increasing debt, an unhappy wife, and a passionate mistress are taking a serious and painful toll on his health. Hector's teenage daughter, Blanca, is undergoing her own growing pains. When she falls in love with Esteban, a young slave in the family's household, Blanca embarks on a potentially disastrous course. The crises of this family, her patients, swirl around Faber as she attempts to maintain her own lonely and secretive existence. However, when Faber falls in love with her young apprentice, her life spins out of control. On the Day of the Kings—a day of celebration, drink, music and dancing in the streets—secrets are revealed and lives overturned, and Faber is forced to make the hardest decision of her life.