Following the release of his latest movie, Orson Welles – renowned director and smoking afficionado, receives a celebratory box of cigars. An exquisite gift, Welles comes to realise exactly what he’s smoking: the final creations of Conchita Marquez, Cuba’s finest cigar roller.
As Welles attempts to avoid the interruptions of his wife Rita Hayworth, he daydreams about the plump genius Conchita, her story of triumph, despair, and unrequited love unfolding in a smoky haze before him.
Ranging from the heyday of the cigar industry to Hollywood’s golden age, The Cigar that Fell in Love With a Pipe inventively combines romance, history, and imagination to ask the burning question – does it all go up in smoke?
Praise for The Cigar That Fell in Love with a Pipe
“Gorgeous, fanciful… Like a fine cigar, rich, heady and ultimately irresistible.”
“An unlikely fairy tale… Abadzis’s drawings are voluptuous and comical, and Camus combines speech bubble wit with the narrative solemnity of a fable. [Orson] Welles, you feel certain, would have loved it.”
“An unconventional fairy tale romance… this is a book whose imagery is visceral and funky: the smell of smoke, the feel of sweat from Cuban heat, the taste of salt from the ocean, the sound of Orson Welles’ mellifluous voice, and of course the ways in which light and smoke play against each other… [a] magical story of two spirits in love”
“Quirky, unusual and delightfully inventive.”
“A love story within a love story with unusual fantasy elements.”
“Wonderful, inventive… Nick Abadzis’ artwork is lovely to behold.”
“A triumph… psychological magic realism with poetic grace as well as an unflagging earthiness… Some of the images in the book will remain in your imagination, perhaps forever.”
“The Cigar That Fell in Love With a Pipe is a highly entertaining read. Armed with a bitter-sweet ending, it’s a tale with enough dramatic punch and humour to fully justify multiple readings.”