A romantic, philosophical novel, Mario Guerrier's Ashes of Desire is based in the sociopolitical realities of Haiti, Guerrier's home country. Inspired by the many questions Guerrier often fields from new acquaintances about Haiti, he wrote Ashes of Desire to stimulate the readers' imagination to explore on their own the many possible answers. The novel draws attention to the power of the instinct over formality even in the most controlled of environments. It also sheds light on the danger of being overconsumed by desire. Ultimately, in Guerrier's imagined world, oppression has a raging impact on those deprived of dreams and hope for better days.