How does one distinguish between good and evil?
With in-depth research based on true events and a sufficient dose of fiction, Roncagliolo plunges us into the darkest night of the Viceroyalty of Peru.
A novice from the Santa Clara convent gives birth to a terrible creature with two heads, a forked tongue, and eight limbs. The young Alonso Morales, sheriff of the Holy Inquisition, will be in charge of investigating the incident.
This demonic birth coincides with the arrival in the city of Rosa Flores de Oliva – today known as the first saint of Latin America – who claims to be able to speak with God and the Devil.
Through Alonso’s investigation and as we explore a Lima plagued by crime; corruption and uncertainty, we will learn the connection between Rosa and the birth of the creature, as well as its terrible consequences.
The story of a country, its servitude to the church and the Spanish Crown, as well as the normalization of violence against Indians, blacks, Jews, and slaves, will be the universe of this story.
RELEVANT DATA: The Year the Demon Was Born is an addictive and chilling work inspired by one of the most unique events in the history of Peru: the case of the nuns of the Santa Clara Convent, who in 1674 declared themselves to be possessed by the devil. In this work, its author digs up and uncovers the crime and corruption existing in colonial Lima, whose vices and defects have extended to our days.
Santiago Roncagliolo is one of the leading writers of contemporary Hispanic literature. With hundreds of thousands of copies sold, his works have been translated into more than twenty languages and some have been adapted into audiovisual works. He is the winner of the Alfaguara Novel Prize, the El Barco de Vapor Children’s Literature Prize, and the Luces Prize, among others. In his role as a translator, he has been a finalist for the prestigious Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.
The critics have said:
“A historical thriller that clears up the origin of the oppressive male society”. Excelsior.
“An extraordinary reinterpretation of the figure of the devil through an exciting and intriguing recreation of a society dominated by the Inquisition and superstition”. La Mula.
“I was fascinated by the ingenious and raw way this book exposes the hypocrisies of the catholic church”. Goodreads.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Film, TV Movie.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish.
