by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino
First published 1970
De Trevino presents Mexico's story from the Aztec empire through Spanish conquest to the modern era. She examines the collision between indigenous civilizations and European colonizers, detailing the encomienda system that bound native peoples to Spanish masters. The narrative follows key figures like Benito Juarez, the indigenous lawyer who rose from poverty to become president and champion the Reform Laws that stripped the Catholic Church of its vast properties. De Trevino portrays Juarez most fully through his marriage to Margarita, emphasizing his devotion as a husband alongside his political achievements. The author contextualizes controversial historical practices, including the Spanish Inquisition and Aztec human sacrifice rituals. She celebrates Mexican women who embodied traditional virtues of self sacrifice and domestic dedication, while criticizing machismo culture. The book weaves together political upheavals, religious conflicts, and social transformations that shaped Mexico's national character.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figures, social-change
Setting: Mexico, Spain
Period: Aztec Empire, Spanish Conquest, Modern Era
256 pages · Hardcover · Farrar Straus & Giroux
Content warnings: colonialism