Mona Passage is the story of two neighbors in San Juan, Puerto Rico: Galán Betances, a Cuban emigrant, and Pat McAllister, a young Coast Guard officer. During long evenings spent together talking on their Calle Luna rooftop, a deep friendship develops based on shared traumas and a common desire to heal. When Galán learns that his sister, Gabriela, is going to be committed to a mental health facility in Cuba, he plans her escape to Puerto Rico. Pat, whose Coast Guard cutter patrols the Mona Passage for drug traffickers and migrants, warns Galán that such a journey will be treacherous—perhaps fatal. Aware of the dangers but determined for Gabriela to live a full life, Galán hands over all the money he has to a Dominican smuggler based out of a San Juan nightclub, and Gabriela begins her terrifying journey.

Knowing that his cutter may be all that separates Galán and Gabriela—and haunted by the human suffering he has witnessed at sea—Pat must decide. Will he remain true to his oath, as his older brother had done in Iraq? Or will he risk his own future—and perhaps his freedom—for his closest friend?

On a moonless night, two armed vessels converge in the Mona Passage, and three lives change forever.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Hardcover

About the Author

Thomas “Buddy” Bardenwerper served for five years as a Coast Guard officer aboard cutters homeported in Maine and Puerto Rico, participating in humanitarian and law enforcement missions from Canada to Colombia. He spent two years living in San Juan and has twice traveled across Cuba. Bardenwerper brings a fresh perspective in this debut novel for readers who are interested in underrepresented voices in American fiction.

Connect:

FB: https://m.facebook.com/TBardenwerper89

IG and Twitter both @TBardenwerper89