Our Lives Are the Rivers: A Novel - Hardcover

Manrique, Jaime

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060820705 ISBN 13: 9780060820701

Publisher: Rayo, 2006

Synopsis

“A compelling story that melds history and biography into the context of a passionate love affair, Our Lives Are the Rivers is a masterful piece of historical fiction.” — San Francisco Chronicle

From critically acclaimed author Jaime Manrique comes a breathtaking novel based on the life of one of the most controversial women in the history of the Americas

Our Lives Are the Rivers tells the sweeping story of beautiful young freedom fighter Manuela Saenz, and the epic tale of her love affair with liberator Simón Bolívar. A novel of intoxicating love, passion, and adventure, Manrique vividly captures a dynamic continent struggling for its own identity and a woman willing to risk it all for her country—and her lover—in whose legacy lies the history of an entire continent.

About this title

About the Author

Jaime Manrique is the award-winning author of the memoir Eminent Maricones, and the novels Latin Moon in Manhattan, Twilight at the Equator, and Colombian Gold. A contributor to Salon.com, BOMB, and other publications, he lives in New York City and is an associate professor in the MFA program at Columbia University.

Reviews

Manrique (Latin Moon in Manhattan) distills the tumultuous last years of colonial South America through the life of Manuela Sáenz (1797–1856), the controversial mistress of Gen. Simón Bolívar. A veteran spy in Peru's successful, early 1820s struggle against Spanish rule, Ecuadorian Manuela meets Simón, a Venezuelan aristocrat who led five South American nations to independence, while she suffers the de facto slavery of an arranged marriage to a wealthy, possessive Englishman, James Thorne. In her relationship with Simón, Manuela finds passion and renewed purpose, earning the moniker "liberator of the Liberator" after pushing Bolívar out a window to help him escape assailants. She remains loyal to Bolívar until his death in 1830 and earns the rank of colonel in battlefield heroics along the way. Haphazardly placed chapters in the voices of Manuela's black slaves, Natán and Jonotás, offer further perspectives on Manuela and Simón's vision of freedom; it would be rejected by South America as tyranny, leading, among other things, to Manuela's exile from Colombia, her destitution and her burial in an unmarked Peruvian grave at the novel's bittersweet conclusion. An epic page-turner that swells with ecstatic love and righteous anger, Manrique's latest skillfully recreates an inspired pair, and their times. (Mar.)
Copyright Š Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This historical novel features the life of Manuela Saenz, a heroine of South American independence. As Simon Bolivar's mistress, Manuela was the Eva Peron of her time, both hated and adored. The first-person narrative reveals a complicated figure. Manuela is equal parts in love with revolution, war, freedom, Bolivar, and herself. She comes across as vain and self-deluding, but also fiercely loyal and dedicated. Occasional chapters written from her slaves' points-of-view indicate the inconsistency in Manuela's championing of freedom and feminism while "her girls" serve her and Bolivar chocolate in bed. The writing is occasionally repetitive; several times are referred to as "the happiest of my life." However, the fascinating history and characters move the story along at a quick pace. Historical events are explained, but not overly so, making the novel equally appropriate for those familiar and unfamiliar with South American history. Marta Segal
Copyright Š American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Rayo
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060820705
• ISBN 13: 9780060820701
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 368