This epic novel of the struggle for the Americas is an odyssey moving from the pre-Columbian Mayan empire to the splendid Golden Age of Spain, then back to the battle for the land and soul of Guatemala. The tale is told in three first-person chronicles: Kaqchikel Mayan prince Belehe Qat is both witness and warrior as he tries to save his people; young and fierce Spanish noblewoman Beatriz pursues marriage to the powerful conquistador, Alvarado, only to find the New World is more than she bargained for; and the hilariously acerbic Domingo, a Sancho Panza-like monk, seeks to find meaning in the middle of this 16th-century American holocaust. Their intertwining stories lead to the shocking volcanic climax.