by Jill Lepore
First published 3019
It's 1492 and Christopher Columbus has just made landfall in the Bahamas. But this is no triumphant arrival - it's the start of a tumultuous era of cultural exchange, conflict, and conquest. "Encounters in the New World" takes us deep into the journals, letters, and records of the period, revealing the complex and often brutal realities as European explorers, missionaries, and settlers encounter the diverse indigenous peoples of the Americas. From the Aztec Empire's final days to the forced relocations of the Trail of Tears, this vivid historical tapestry captures the full scope of a transformation that would echo through the centuries. At its heart, "Encounters in the New World" is a powerful exploration of what happens when two vastly different worlds collide.
Genres: history, historical-fiction, cultural, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: clash-of-civilizations, cultural-exchange
Setting: Americas, Aztec Empire, Bahamas, Trail of Tears
Period: 1492
175 pages · Library Binding · Tandem Library
Content warnings: colonialism, violence