BRIDE OF THE CONQUEROR

by Hartzell Spence ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Taking the skeleton facts of Gonzalo Pizarro's story, of his hard fought and grimly held conquest of Peru, in the wake of his brother, and of the priest, Father Gasco, powerful emissary of the king, set on peaceful reconquest, Hartzell Spence has woven a tale of blood and violence and dubious romance. He has told the tale through the somewhat distorted evidence of Dona Eloisa, who came from Spain with Father Gasco, found her betrothed dead in the wars, and stayed to lead the women of Peru in civil revolt (along the lines of Lysistrata) against the extremes of Pizarro's cruel rule. Political man-ocuverings in the melodrama of the South American wars make difficult reading, but despite the too frequent bogging down of story in the interplay of shifting loyalties, Spence has created a unity that lends a measure of clarity to the tale. Uneven in interest, rather shallow in characterization, the novel yet makes a contribution to an often muddied picture.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1954

Categories: FICTION