The Andes form a spectacular but intimidating backbone to the South American continent; peaks often measure better than 20,000 feet in height. The mountain chain runs north and south through Peru.
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In 1911, U.S. explorer, Hiram Bingham, following a local farmer's directions, cut his way to what is now Machu Picchu. There is no agreement on why the city was built or why it was abandoned, but it continues to inspire awe, if not understanding. |
The largest Andean city, Cuzco, is not just 'mile high,' but better than TWO miles high. North American visitors can suffer from altitude sickness and often have difficulty adjusting to the thin air.
City of silver : a mystery
Annamaria Alfieri.
New York : Minotaur Books, 2009.
In PotosÃÂ, the richest city in the Western Hemisphere, Inez de la Morada, the bewitching, cherished daughter of the rich and powerful Mayor, mysteriously dies at the convent of Santa Isabella de los Santos Milagros, where she had fled in defiance of her father. It looks as though the girl committed suicide, but Mother Abbess Maria Santa Hilda believes her innocent and has her buried at the convent in sacred ground. Fray Ubaldo DaTriesta, local Commissioner of the Inquisition, has been keeping an eye on the Abbess, who is too Protestant for his tastes, and this action may be just what he needs to convince the lazy, cowardly Bishop to punish her. At the same time, Potosàfinds its prosperity threatened. The King of Spain has discovered that the coins the city has been circulating throughout the world are not pure silver and is sending his top prosecutor and the Grand Inquisitor to mete out punishment. With the imminent arrival of the Spanish officials, many have reason to prove their loyalty, and keep hidden the crimes and sins they’ve committed. With her life at stake, Maria Santa Hilda finds herself in a race against time to prove the true cause of Inez’s death, aided by her fellow sisters, a Jesuit priest with a dark secret from his past, and a tomboyish girl who’s run to the convent to avoid an unwanted marriage. Together they will discover that Inez was not the girl she seemed, and that greed has no limits. Annamaria Alfieri writes with astounding detail, showing an appreciation for the complexities and social nuances of this intriguing time in Latin American history when politicians, religious leaders, and an indigenous people all competed for power and survival in the thin mountain air of the Andes.
The history of Peru
Daniel Masterson.
Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2009.
Masterson (history, US Naval Academy) begins by describing the three environmental zones of the South American country--the Pacific coast, the Andes Mountains, and the rain forests of the eastern slopes--and how they have influenced life there from prehistoric times to the present. Then he begins a historical narrative from the precolumbian empires through the Spanish colony, independence, and the various factions and leaders from the late 19th century to the early 21st. A chronology and biographical sketches are provided. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Stone offerings : Machu Picchu's terraces of enlightenment
Mike Torrey ; introduction by Marie Arana ; Spanish translation by Isabel Arana Cisneros.
San Diego, CA : Lightpoint Press, c2009.
Includes index.
The bride of the sun
by Gaston Leroux.
[United States : Kessinger Pub., 2009]
Written by the author of "Phantom of the Opera," this tale takes us to Peru where Dick Montgomery hopes to marry his fianci, Maria-Teresa de la Torre, the daughter of a Spanish marquis. Because of their disrespectful manner, Maria-Teresa discharges a group of Quichua Indians working in the household, including Huascar. It is heard that the Indians have found an Incan king and are going to celebrate an ancient ceremony wherein a virgin bride is sacrificed to the Sun King. Maria-Teresa is the chosen victim and is kidnapped. Dick and Maria-Teresa's father attempt to save her, but are unsuccessful. Huascar comes to them, saying he will save Maria-Teresa, but is he to be trusted? Left with no choice, they take Huascar at his word, and the rescue begins.
Red April
Santiago Roncagliolo ; translated from Spanish by Edith Grossman.
New York : Pantheon Books, c2009.
Reminiscent of Roberto Bolano's "The Savage Detectives" comes this chilling, internationally acclaimed political thriller by one of Latin America's most important young writers.
Lima nights : a novel
Marie Arana.
New York : Dial Press, 2009.
"Carlos Bluhm leads the good life in upper-class Lima: he attends social functions with his elegant wife, goes out drinking with his three best friends, has the occasional, fleeting assignation.... Until he meets Maria Fernandez, a dancer at a tango bar in a rough part of town. The beautiful sixteen-year-old intoxicates him. An indigenous dark-skinned Peruvian, she repre, sents everything his safe white world does not, and soon he can't get her out of his mind. They begin a passionate affair, one that will destroy his marriage and shatter the only reality he's ever known." "Flash forward twenty years: against all odds, Carlos and Maria have remained together. But when Maria finally presses for a formal commitment, feelings long suppressed erupt in a tense endgame that sends both of them hurtling toward a dangerous resolution that will forever alter their lives."--BOOK JACKET.
In this uninviting atmosphere, the Incas (1200-1535 AD) built the largest empire on the continent.
Cuzco was their capital, and from that administrative center, imaginatively engineered roads ran over thousands of miles of inhospitable terrain. Unbelievable walls, with cyclopean blocks weighing hundreds of tons, were fitted together so precisely that a knife blade cannot be inserted in the joins.
Gold and silver were so plentiful that when the Incan ruler Atahualpa put together a ransom to (unsuccessfully) buy his life from his Spanish captors, he provided not pounds of gold and silver, but TONS.
The empire is gone, a victim of the conquistadors' greed and courage and treachery. The remains can be seen everywhere; even the mountainsides, on closer examination, often reveal careful stone terracing. Chopping back lush rainforest growth reveals buildings of uncertain purpose but unmistakable art.
The combination of unbelievable scenery and unbelievable construction continues to draw thousands of visitors. Last year, Peru was the most popular adventure travel destination in the world.
Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff
