The Memoirs of Fray Servando Teresa de Mier by Fray Servando Teresa De Mier, Fray Servando, Jose Servando Te Mier Noriega Y. Guerra

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Synopsis

On December 12, 1794, Fray Servando preached a sermon in Mexico City claiming that the Indies had been converted by St. Thomas long before the Spaniards arrived. Because the Spanish cited the "conversion of the heathen" as the justification of their conquest of the New World, Servando's words were deemed subversive. As a result, he was arrested by the Inquisition and exiled to Spain - only to escape and spend 10 years traveling throughout Europe, as none other than a French priest. So began the grand adventure of Fray Servando's life, and of this gripping memoir. Here is an invitation hard for any reader to resist: a glimpse of the European "Age of Enlightenment" through the eyes of a fugitive Mexican friar. Fray Servando's account of Europe is clear-sighted, hilarious and certainly not included in the travel literature of that era. In this memoir, one sees a portrait of manners and morals that is a far cry from the 'civilized' spirit that the Empire wanted to impose on its Colonies. This book takes a look at history from an upside-down perspective, asking this question: who were the real savages, the colonizers themselves, or the supposed "savages" they were struggling to convert?

Biography

Susana Rotker is a Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Rutgers University and an internationally awarded specialist on 19th Century Spanish-American Literature. Helen Lane's many award winning translations include Tomas Eloy Martinez's bestseller Santa Evita, Mario Vargas Llosa's memoirs, and several volumes of Octavio Paz's essays.

Rutgers University