A MIRACLE FOR MEXICO

The miracle of the Brown Virgin of Guadalupe becomes the center of an absorbing historical novel about the years just after Cortes' conquest of the Aztecs. In fact, what is now Mexico might have remained just another part of New Spain, had not the Virgin appeared to a poor Indian farmer in 1531. His vision revealed that Indians, too, had souls and were not to be enslaved, even by their conquerors. Young Martin Aguilar, the first ""mestizo"" of mixed Mayan and Spanish blood, plays the fictional role of mediator among the historical characters: incredulous Spanish Friars: cruel ruling Conquerors and Indians of Mexico's most ancient heritage. The story is rich with Spanish greed and grandeur, but richer still with the lore and legends of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. History and miracle come to life in a glimpse of a strange and exciting world. An exceptionally fine offering with beautiful prints by the modern Maxican artist, Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.