When Dieudonné, a gardener by trade, is released from prison after being acquitted of the murder of Loraine, his rich békée mistress who devours young men, he finds himself in a city on the verge of insurrection. A depressed economy, social conflicts, union and political clashes, racial hatred: in 1999, Port-Mahault is going through difficult times. In this deleterious atmosphere, Dieudonné, disowned by his family and many of his friends, naturally finds his way back to his Belle Créole, the boat that serves as his refuge and landmark, a happy vestige of a bygone past. In a flowery and baroque language, Maryse Condé gradually reveals the keys to this mysterious character marked by the seal of misfortune, a tragic figure in a passionate love story. In a lush natural setting, she depicts characters with big hearts and noble ideals. Far from any exotic cliché, La Belle Créole paints in a dark tone the destiny of a great romantic hero.