On Elba a beekeeper awaits the arrival of Napoleon, who was exiled to the island in May 1814. A surprising and obsessive relationship will develop between them. This is a connection with profound repercussions in a book whose atmosphere is unique and which won the fourth Premio Novela Breve Juan March Cencillo in 1996. Jesus Pardo described it as: 'A varnished cameo: it has the clear, concise, brevity of a cameo with the shine that comes from polishing.'. More than two decades later, the author has undertaken the delicate task of improving it. Now, as then, José Luis de Juan's engaging prose and an unusual combination of history and fiction give the story a real power to enchant.