The Lost Chronicles of Terra Firma Book

Fiction. Latino/Latina Studies. "In this intriguing fictional work, a Nicaraguan writer (with obvious parallels to Aguilar herself) prepares a historical novel about the Spanish conquest of her homeland, but from an unusual perspective: that of women involved in that cataclysmic clash of cultures, native and foreign. In the process of her research, she meets a beguiling journalist from Spain, in Nicaragua to cover the presidential election. The story of this Nicaraguan writer's developing a relationship with the Spaniard while simultaneously coming to terms with her country's past and her personal consciousness of nationality is interspersed with segments of the historical narrative she is preparing. Six women of the period—three Spanish, two Native American, and one of mixed heritage—emerge as a chorus to sing laments about the conquest, each woman representing different stakes in the confrontation between Old World and New. Their stories coalesce into a beautifully conceived, haunting depiction of a cruel time"—Brad Hooper, Booklist.

"A Nicaraguan journalist weaves past and present into a historical novel about the Spanish conquest of Central America from perspective of six women of the period - three Spanish, two Amerindian, and one mestiza - involved in that violent conflict of cultures. Narrator intersperses her own life in the transition from the Sandinistas to the government of Violeta Chamorro with that of her women characters. Skillful feminocentric recreation and a seamless natural translation make a compelling read. First published as La niäna blanca y los pâajaros sin pies (1992). Afterword by Ann Gonzâalez provides context"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.