Set on a fictional Caribbean island, Cereus Blooms at Night unveils the mystery surrounding Mala Ramchandin and the tempestuous history of her family. At its heart is an alleged crime committed years before the story opens. Mala is the aging woman suspected of murder who is delivered to the Paradise Alms House after being declared mentally unfit to stand trial. Frail and mute, she is placed in the care of a vivacious male nurse who becomes her unlikely confidant and the storyteller of Mala's extraordinary life.
