Bartolome de las Casas

Bartolomé de Las Casas is one of the most controversial figures in the Spanish colonization of America. For some, because of his defense of the natives, he is the apostle to the Indians; for others, because of his denunciation of the excesses of the conquest, he is responsible for the Black Legend that has tarnished Spain for centuries.

This novel by the award-winning Spanish author José Luis Olaizola tells the epic story of this singular man. Using the voice of Las Casas, Olaizola describes the various periods of his life: his boyhood in Seville, his hunt for gold in Hispaniola, and his complacent years as a rich cleric and landowner in Cuba. After turning to Christ for mercy, Father Las Casas relinquishes his wealth and devotes himself to defending the dignity of all men.

Olaizola vividly depicts the colorful, contrasting characteristics of the sixteenth century. He shows how fervent greed and passionate faith brought both colossal injustice and heroic holiness to the West Indies. He makes the conquistadores, friars, courtiers, and kings of the age into a striking mosaic within the frame of historical events.