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Summary
Summary
"Utterly irresistible... The Gold Eaters is truly the gold standard to which all fiction -- historical and otherwise -- should aspire." -- Buzzfeed
A sweeping, epic historical novel of exploration and invasion, of conquest and resistance, and of an enduring love that must overcome the destruction of one empire by another.
Kidnapped at sea by conquistadors seeking the golden land of Peru, a young Inca boy named Waman is the everyman thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Forced to become Francisco Pizarro's translator, he finds himself caught up in one of history's great clashes of civilzations, the Spanish invasion of the Incan Empire of the 1530s. To survive, he must not only learn political gamesmanship but also discover who he truly is, and in what country and culture he belongs. Only then can he be reunited with the love of his life and begin the search for his shattered family, journeying through a land and a time vividly depicted here.
Based closely on real historical events, The Gold Eaters draws on Ronald Wright's imaginative skill as a novelist and his deep knowledge of South America to bring alive an epic struggle that laid the foundations of the modern world.
Author Notes
Ronald Wright lives in Port Hope, Ontario.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Wright's (Henderson's Spear) latest historical novel tackles the complex and tragic story of Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro and his army of conquistadores, as they ravage and destroy Peru's Inca civilization in their insatiable hunger for gold during the years 1526-1544. Waman, an adolescent fisherman in northern Peru, is captured at sea by a Spanish ship, revealing "how easily Christians become savages." Waman is kept as a slave, to be Pizarro's interpreter, during the expedition. Waman always thinks of escape, though because of his value to Pizarro, he knows it's nearly impossible. The mighty Incan empire is decimated by Spanish-borne smallpox, and Waman's family is dispersed in the chaos. Waman accompanies Pizarro to Spain, where the explorer appeals to the King and Queen for more support to return to conquer all of Peru. As years pass Waman witnesses Spanish duplicity, treachery, and brutality with false promises and cannons crushing Incan resistance, inciting an Incan civil war. When hoards of Incan gold and silver are discovered, greed, disease, and infighting among the Spaniards threatens the newest campaign. This is a rousing adventure tale of bold exploration and conquest, but best is Wright's vivid portrayal of unrestrained 16th-century Spanish imperialism, complete with villains, victims, and a few heroes. Agent: Henry Dunow, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Historian Wright's third novel (Henderson's Spear, 2002, etc.) finds a young Inca boy swept into Francisco Pizarro's 16th-century conquest of Peru. A single impulsive act gets young Waman tangled with history: after an argument, he leaves his domineering father and boards a ship, also deserting a blooming romance with his cousin Tika. Fate intervenes when his ship is raided by Spanish pirates led by Pizarro, returning to Europe following an unsuccessful attempt to find the Inca stronghold. Once he fights off smallpox and narrowly survives the trip, Waman is forced to become Pizarro's translator. Pizarro takes his grand designs to the king and queen of Spain, who allow him to launch a conquest of Peru. At first the two sides seem unevenly matched, as the culturally evolved Incas ridicule the Spaniards for their primitive manners, Christian beliefs, and hunger for gold. Yet the Inca Empire is already coming undone when its leadership is usurped by Atawallpa, whose hubris will bring consequences; and the story traces the bloody path to Pizarro's first decisive victory. Waman's service as a Spanish soldier and prisoner calls his loyalties and identity into question as the story leads to his long-desired reunion with Tika. Wright's narrative deftly juggles the elements of historical fiction, war story, and coming-of-age novel. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* With this multifaceted historical novel about sixteenth-century Spanish conquistadors in Peru, Wright, author of Henderson's Spear (2002) and multiple nonfiction works, continues to explore the downfall of ancient societies. Through an Incan boy named Waman, and his coming-of-age adventures, beginning with his capture by Francisco Pizarro, readers are treated to a riveting account of the wealthy, culturally superior Incans and the encroachment of the Spaniards on their civilization. The contrast between the dirty, boorish, gold-hungry barbarians from Spain and the pristine elegance of the Incas is one of the tragic themes emphasized in the book, as is Peru's gradual downfall from disease, political infighting, and misjudgment of its own power and cleverness. Fascinating historical details about using knotted strings as a form of writing, about chewing coca leaves, and about including dead leaders' mummified bodies in meetings to advise the Sapa Inca (sovereign emperor) enrich and lend veracity to the exotic setting. The reputations of Balboa, Pizarro, Almagro, and Cortés their spread of disease in Latin America, their slaughter of the indigenous peoples, and their sheer greed have been well documented, but Wright's fictionalized treatment brings those abuses home in a visceral way readers will never again think of conquistadors without shuddering. Related reading: Isabel Allende's Ines of My Soul (2006) and Gary Jennings' Aztec series.--Baker, Jen Copyright 2015 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
THE ACTION of Ronald Wright's fast-paced historical novel unfolds in the early 16th century in what is now Peru. His central character, Waman, is a callow boy from the coastal lowland town of Little River. At home, Waman speaks Tallan, an indigenous language that is, thanks to the spread of the Inca empire, giving way to Quechua, the tongue of the increasingly dominant Incas. A young man in search of adventure, Waman leaves home to join the crew of a trading vessel. But the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro is also cruising these blue Pacific waters, set on plundering Inca gold. Pizarro's men quickly capture Waman, and the plot follows him as he takes on a new role as interpreter, learning Spanish and acting as their intermediary with the Incas. In his long career, Wright has produced both fiction and nonfiction, including a 1989 memoir, "Time Among the Maya," set in Mexico and Central America. In this latest volume, real events form the basis of his fiction, and his diligent research allows him to conjure colorful details: the whiff of steamed corn, the "clicking toes" of llama trains, even "mules' breath hanging like smoke" in a dark courtyard. He captures the flavor of Peru in this period of its history. As Waman continues in his role as slave-interpreter, the novel's action moves inland and the Spanish campaign takes its baleful course. Wright has devised an ambitious plot, with Inca chieftains squabbling among themselves as well as with the "hairy barbarians," and the Incas oppressing other indigenous peoples just as the Spaniards seek to oppress them all. When Waman eventually sets out to return to Little River, he is dressed "as a Christian" in "doublet and hose, tan boots, red velvet cap. Even a black goatee." He wonders if he also smells like a Christian. But the village has been destroyed, with three out of four of its inhabitants felled by smallpox. Wright ably describes the ravages of this "spotted death," during which the victim's skin bubbles "like the back of a toad." Wright's plot embraces interludes in Spain and Chile. Elsewhere the reader observes friars replacing a native sun wheel with a crucifix, for, as it has been decreed, "Our Lord must take the place of their lord. From this day forth, Christ is the Sun who shines on Peru." Meanwhile, pack trains laden with gold sway down from the interior to waiting Spanish ships. Cultural collisions and conflicts of identity are everywhere. Direct speech lifts the narrative throughout. On the whole, Wright handles this well, though occasionally he strains for the common touch. He has an acute eye for metaphor and analogy: drunken Inca jailers, for example, sleep "like snakes in winter." Waman - called Felipe by his captors - is over 30 at the end of the book, and a member of the Inca leader Manku's inner circle. After some plot twists, Wright ends with a note pointing out that today both Peru and Bolivia have presidents of indigenous origin, a small stab at redemption. But it's the barbarity of the conquistadors that lingers in this reader's imagination. Part coming-of-age novel, part first-contact saga, "The Gold Eaters" tells the story of Spain's battle for Peru through the eyes of the participants. Some, like the whiskery-eyebrowed monster Pizarro, were not only willing but also eager, and some, like Waman, had no choice. Inca chieftains squabble among themselves as well as with the invading Spaniards. SARA WHEELER'S most recent book is "O My America! Six Women and Their Second Acts in a New World."
Library Journal Review
This epic adventure of conquest, war, and cultural differences begins with the kidnapping of a young Inca fisherman, Waman, by Spanish conquistadors. Waman is then forced to act as translator for the infamous Francisco Pizarro. As he becomes a trusted member of the invasion force, -Waman finds himself caught between two contrasting civilizations. Wright's (A Scientific Romance) sweeping novel brings vividly to life the brutal reality of conquest and the toll it takes on invaders and vanquished alike, but it also depicts the culture clash with sympathy for both sides. The author's intimate knowledge of South American history and his sense of the dark changes that arrived in Peru with the Spanish in the 16th century makes his book a primer on what it was like to watch years of greed drain an empire of its lifeblood. The use of a third-person present-tense point of view gives the narrative an immediacy and feeling of constantly building tension. VERDICT Wright displays his mastery of the historical fiction form with this terrific novel that will enlighten anyone interested in the conquest of Peru, the vision of Pizarro, and the fate of native Peruvian culture.-Ron Samul, New London, CT © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.