Columbus and Caonabó: 1493-1498 Retold

by Andrew Rowen

Overview

Columbus assured Spain's Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand that he'd conquer "Española" with little opposition from its inhabitants, but he soon discovered the promise ominously false. A historical novel, Columbus and Caonabó: 1493-1498 Retold dramatizes his invasion of the island on his second voyage and the bitter resistance mounted by its Taíno peoples, led by the Taíno chieftain Caonabó. Based closely on primary sources, the story is told from both Taíno and European perspectives, including through the eyes of Caonabó and Columbus.

Chief Caonabó opposes any European presence on the island and massacres the garrison Columbus left behind on his first voyage. When Columbus returns, the second voyage's twelve-hundred settlers suffer from disease and famine and are alienated by his harsh rule, resulting in crown-appointed officers and others deserting for Spain. Sensing European vulnerability, Caonabó establishes a broad Taíno alliance to expel the intruders, becoming the first of four centuries of Native American chieftains known to organize war against European expansion. Columbus realizes that Caonabó's capture or elimination is key to Española's conquest, and their conflict escalates--with the fateful clash of their soldiers, cultures, and religions, enslavement of Taíno captives, the imposition of tribute, and hostile face-to-face conversations.

As battles are lost, Caonabó's wife Anacaona anguishes and considers how to confront the Europeans if Caonabó is killed. The settlers grow more brutal when Columbus explores Cuba and Jamaica, and his enslaved Taíno interpreters witness them forcing villagers into servitude, committing rape, and destroying Taíno religious objects. Chief Guarionex, whose territory neighbors Caonabó's, studies Christianity with missionaries and observes the first recorded baptism of a Native in the Americas but ultimately rejects his own conversion. All brood upon the spirits' or Lord's design as epidemic diseases ravage the island's peoples. Isabella and Ferdinand are disturbed when Columbus initiates slave shipments home, but they deliberately acquiesce--and the justification for the European enslavement of Native Americans begins to evolve.

The novel is the sequel to Encounters Unforeseen: 1492 Retold, which portrays the lives of the same Taíno and European protagonists from youth through 1492.

There are forty-two historic or newly drawn maps and illustrations woven into the narrative, including portraits or sketches of Columbus, Caonabó, Isabella, and Anacaona. A Sources section cites authorities and discusses interpretations of historians and anthropologists contrary to the author's presentation and issues of academic disagreement.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780999196151
Publisher:	All Persons Press
Publication date:	01/01/2022
Pages:	506
Sales rank:	239,138
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.13(d)

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2021

Historical novelist Rowen captivates in his powerful standalone sequel to Encounters Unforeseen: 1492 Retold, following Columbus’s ongoing subjugation of Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well as the desperate attempts of Caonabó, a storied Taíno cacique, to defend his chiefdom and protect his people. After leaving behind an unruly fleet with instructions to appropriate the island’s gold in the name of Spain, Columbus invades a second time–assured in his belief that the indigenous peoples will welcome conversion to Catholicism while handing over their treasure without a fight. The Taíno leaders are astounded at Columbus’s arrogant assumptions, and choose distinctive ways to combat his conquest, most remarkably Caonabó’s unrelenting attacks and refusal to give up his people’s freedom.

Rowen’s writing brims with striking historical detail, and he offers welcome maps and illustrations of the main characters and events, but as a storyteller he never loses sight of the heart of this conflict: the devastation wrought by Columbus and Spain’s power-hungry monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand. Despite his promises of an easy annexation and wealth beyond imagining, Columbus fails to deliver more than disease, starvation, and Taíno slaves–and most of the “pale men” he places in strategic forts around the area spend their time raping Taíno women, spreading deadly bacterial infections among the indigenous tribes, and meting out punishment as they see fit: “No heathen can escape the consequence of murdering Christians,” one declares. Columbus himself struggles with mutiny, the hardships of survival in an unknown land, and the distrust of nobles back in Spain. He never loses his conviction to force Christianity on the Taíno people or his assessment that “slavery is the fate of those who resist me.”

Historical fiction readers will applaud Rowen’s candid, albeit heartbreaking, account of the travesty of Columbus. Caonabó—and his wife, Anacaona, who emerges as a brilliant strategist and freedom fighter—are trailblazers in their war against the invaders. Rowen weaves bravery and treachery and pits truth against myth in this sweeping tour de force.

Takeaway: A meticulously researched and intensely tragic novel of Columbus’s offensive against the Taíno people.

Great for fans of: Mary Glickman’s An Undisturbed Peace, Barry Unsworth’s Sacred Hunger.

Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

"…fascinating. Rowen's research into the historical record is impressively thorough…While unprovable, the fictionalizations are one of the book’s great strengths, stepping beyond worn stereotypes to humanize the protagonists as individuals…the book adds to our understanding of the Taínos and Contact history."—L. Antonio Curet, Caribbean archaeologist, museum curator. Co-ed., Islands at the Crossroads: Migration, Seafaring, and Interaction in the Caribbean

"…[a] powerful standalone sequel to Encounters Unforeseen: 1492 Retold…brims with striking historical detail…Rowen weaves bravery and treachery and pits truth against myth in this sweeping tour de force…A meticulously researched and intensely tragic novel of Columbus's offensive against the Taíno people."—booklife

"…Rowen takes us on a deep journey that humanizes our ancestors and treats us as equals rather than passive victims. The dialogue between the Caciques and Spaniards is intelligent, meaningful, and extremely believable…His writing invokes vivid images of events…credibly weaving fiction and fact! I recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject!"—Kacike Jorge Baracutei Estevez, Higuayagua Taíno of the Caribbean

"…a feat of meticulous research, beautiful writing, and great imagination. Much of the early history of the Caribbean is irretrievably lost, but Andrew Rowen has given us a detailed and exciting glimpse."—Andrés Reséndez, The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America, Conquering the Pacific

"…captures the vast political intrigue…Action scenes abound, including battles between the Taíno and European forces, as do lovingly written romantic scenes…Casual readers will simply enjoy the rich characters, thrilling plot, and exploration of a little-known culture."—Blue Ink Review

"…succeeds on two levels, as all the best historical fiction must do. With meticulous research and deft phrasing, Andrew Rowen brings the 1490s to life. At the same time, he tells a great story…"—Matthew Restall, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, When Montezuma Met Cortés

"…guile is shown to trump innocence…to read this book is to be forced to confront the very worst of arrogant, hubristic conquest—and the sobering fact that the conquerors achieved their grim goals…An often absorbing story and an impressive work of scholarship."—Kirkus Reviews

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