Sabine Hyland

Valera is a fascinating guy, and the topic of the book has a lot of potential. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Part of the problem is the style; I am used to reading academic histories, but this one is not as well written as it could be. The information in the book is really interesting, but it is laid out in a way that again detracts from the story. I think this was originally a dissertation; it's too bad the editors didn't ask for a complete rewrite.

All of that said, the story is incredibly compelling; I learned a lot about the Jesuits and about Inca culture and religion, as well as the interaction between Incas and Spanish conquerors. Valera's attempts to ground his missionary work by taking Inca religion seriously is fascinating, as is the fact that this mestizo was expelled from Peru by the Jesuit order because of his methods. Despite the points I make above, it's overall well worth reading if these are topics that interest you.… (mehr)