Overview

A historical novel, Isabel, Anacaona & Columbus's Demise: 1498-1502 Retold dramatizes from both Native and European perspectives the European subjugation of Española's indigenous peoples during the least studied period of the island's brutal conquest. Based on primary sources, it strikingly sets a Native and European queen-the Taíno Anacaona and Spain's Isabel-on comparable pedestals and tells Columbus's demise through his eyes and those of Taíno chieftains and Spaniards who opposed him. Queen Isabel and King Fernando struggle to bring their conquest of Española to profitability and order, and she sincerely seeks to curtail her conquerors' enslavement of ""Indians"" and other abuses, including freeing Indians whom Columbus has enslaved. She and Fernando terminate Columbus's governorship of Española, direct his successors to reorder settler-Indian relationships, and dispatch other explorers to claim the mainland. But Isabel's conquerors mostly ignore her instructions regarding the Indians' treatment. Anacaona and her brother Chief Behecchio strive to prevent Columbus's conquest from extending to their chiefdom of Xaraguá, harboring Spaniards rebelling against Columbus in return for protection from him. Anacaona rises to chieftain on Behecchio's death, outlasting Columbus's governorship and that of his successor and the reigns of nearly all Española's other supreme chieftains. She's determined to preserve Taíno civilization, and her competence as chieftain matches her more renowned allure. Columbus explores the mainland on his third voyage, recognizes that it's a continent, and then struggles to settle the rebellions against him on Española, ultimately awarding the rebels Indian land and Indians. Scenes closely trace his life, objectives, and activities for two years as governor of Española (while not at sea), often abbreviated in biographies of him. Embittered by opposition, he deteriorates intellectually, collapses, and resists his successor, who investigates his conduct and sends him home in chains. Scenes also portray daily life at the frontier of conquest, including the inception of mestizo society, the fate of Indians enslaved, the origins of the doctrines of repartimiento and encomienda by which Spain would rule its New World possessions, and the slow advance of Christianity. The novel is a sequel to, and readable independently from, Encounters Unforeseen: 1492 Retold (2017) and Columbus and Caonabó 1493-1498 Retold (2021). A Sources section cites the works considered and sometimes explains the author's reasoning and contrary interpretations. There are thirty-five illustrations and maps, including a sketch of Anacaona.

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9780999196175

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Reviews

""Deeply researched, devastating novel of the dawn of Caribbean colonialism... Anacaona is drawn from historical record, a savvy leader who expects and plans for betrayal...Violence is alluded to rather than relished, as the novel illuminates the drift of history and how a diverse array of leaders...arrived at decisions that shaped history.""-booklife ""...a wonderful reimagination of a consequence-heavy moment of world history, something like a chronicle of a holocaust foretold, slowly, methodically, and menacingly. Fascinating and compellingly written.""-Greg Grandin, America, América: A New History of the New World an ""exciting retelling of the narrative brings the people on both sides to life in an excellent page-turner...""-Samuel M. Wilson, Hispaniola: Caribbean Chiefdoms in the Age of Columbus ""... vividly reveals the exploits and failures of the invaders and dispels numerous myths created by past historians, including the false narrative of Taino Indian docility...humanizes our Indigenous ancestors...a people with great leaders...I wholeheartedly endorse this book!""-Kasike Atunwa Jorge Baracutay Estevez of the Higuayagua Taino Luku Kairi tribe ""...an excellent and original account of the dramatic and momentous events that took place at the dawn of the conquest and colonization of the New World...moving and enlightening for any reader interested in understanding the origins of American history.""-Manuel García Arévalo, member of the Dominican Academy of History ""A refreshing, well-informed take on a less well-known period of history...a fresh, scholarly perspective on Christopher Columbus...can just as easily be read as a stand-alone...Rowen's writing is clear... an enjoyable, educational read...""-Kirkus Reviews ""An enthralling historical novel...chronicles the ruinous progress of European colonialism.""-Foreword

Author Information

Andrew Rowen's novels retell the history of the encounters between European and Taíno peoples in the Caribbean from a bicultural perspective, based on primary sources, anthropological studies, and visits to sites where Columbus and Taíno chieftains lived, met, and fought. Encounters Unforeseen: 1492 Retold (2017) portrays the life stories of the chieftains and Columbus from youth through their first contacts in 1492 and was praised for historical accuracy. Columbus and Caonabó 1493-1498 Retold (2021) relates the bitter war between Columbus and Chief Caonabó during the period of Columbus's second voyage and was praised for scholarship. His third book, Isabel, Anacaona & Columbus's Demise: 1498-1502 Retold, was released on November 10, 2025. Andrew is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and Harvard Law School.

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