Lecumberri, known as the "Black Palace," was infamous for overcrowding, corruption, and violence.

The narrative follows the true story of Dwight Worker , an American professor and activist who was sentenced to seven years in the notoriously brutal Lecumberri Prison for drug smuggling.

Under Mexico’s ley de fuga , escaping was not strictly illegal unless it involved violence or property damage, but guards were permitted to kill escapees on sight. Availability and Format

Worker met Barbara Chilcoate while imprisoned; they fell in love and married within the prison walls. Together, they devised a plan for Worker to walk out of the front gate disguised as a woman.

The book details the only successful escape from Mexico’s "Black Palace" of Lecumberri besides Pancho Villa, which occurred on December 17, 1975.