First published 1982
Spanning centuries, Memoria del fuego tears through the myths and legends of pre-Columbian America, then charts the brutal colonization and independence struggles that forged modern Latin America. Galeano's dazzling, kaleidoscopic prose shifts between gripping eyewitness accounts, folktales, and biting humor as a diverse cast of conquistadors, slaves, and revolutionaries fight to shape a new world. Beneath the lively, often grotesque pageantry, Galeano uncovers the tragic costs of conquest, the elusiveness of freedom, and the universal hopes that unite all people.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, latin-american-literature, american-history
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: diverse-cast, eyewitness-accounts, folktales
Setting: America, Latin America
Period: Pre-Columbian, Colonial Era, Independence Era
336 pages · Paperback · W.W. Norton & Company
Content warnings: colonialism, violence