Daughter of the Conquest

This is the final novel in the Conquest trilogy that began with Voice of Stone, a story of the Incas just prior to Francisco Pizarro€s arrival in Peru. Mirasol, the adopted mestiza daughter of Beatriz, the Spanish adventuress, whose story is told in the second book in the series Conquistadora, flees an unhappy marriage to an arrogant Spaniard after she discovers he is a bigamist. She becomes a powerful abbess at the Convent of Santa Clara where she enjoys the arts and exerts influence upon colonial society in the only sphere open to women in 16th century Cuzco. She fights against subjection of the native people and the conquerors€ lust for gold. Intricate family relations continue among her half-brother Fabiano and her sister-in-law Hortensia, which weave a fascinating web of politics, sexual relations and racial prejudices throughout the colony. Mirasol reflects a colonial woman€s struggle for independence while at the same asserting the value of indigenous culture in colonial Peru. History buffs and those who love a strong female main character will enjoy this novel. The look inside the operation of a 16th century convent and its social structure is well worth the read.