Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Lost Cities of El Norte:
“Lost” being a very relative term in this case.
Quick synopsis:
The expedition of Coronado into the future American West.
Fact for Non-History People:
Around 1500, the Pueblo population in the Southwest was estimated to be between 40,000 and 80,000.
Fact for History Nerds:
Coronado’s expedition became the first time Europeans saw the Grand Canyon.
My Take on The Lost Cities of El Norte:
Did you know that there was a time when Spanish conquistadors were actively not trying to be murderous to American Indians? Yes, they failed like almost every other time, but it did happen! It was 1540 in Mexico, and the conquistador Francisco Coronado undertook an expedition to “El Norte Misterioso.” Of course, the target was any place where they could find a lot of gold. It was always gold with these guys. Well, they would have settled for some nice places to set up shop with abundant water and good land. What they found were the Puebloan people who were pretty accommodating…until they weren’t. You see, the Spanish around this time had this uncanny knack for overstaying their welcome and taking advantage of good hospitality. The Spanish did get to see the Grand Canyon, though. Most people say it’s worth the trouble. Coronado probably didn’t agree.
Lucky for us readers, this story is being told by the wonderful Peter Stark in The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado’s Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance. I quote the whole title and subtitle because I do love it when the entire thing makes sense to the story. Stark is no stranger to adventure stories which contain a fair bit of bad luck, violence, and malice. For my fellow readers who read Stark’s Astoria, this is like an old friend coming back home. Stark still has the ability to make the writing come alive whether it’s gazing upon an unending group of bison, enduring unquenchable thirst, or the way a poison arrow makes your arm fall off. Yes, all of those examples are in the book.
I am not sure I remember this from Stark’s previous books, but he also seems to have added a willingness to lighten the mood with some modern vernacular. Don’t worry, this is not the case of an author forcing contemporary sayings into the story directly. Instead, he’ll give a kind of wink to the reader and say this is the 1500s equivalent of a modern idea. The story kind of needs it. Conquistadors are not known for their sense of humor, and there is no shortage of tragedy in the pages of this narrative. This is a brutal story of an even more brutal journey. The real surprise is that anyone survived at all. As I would say of any of Stark’s books, don’t miss this one. It’s too good.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Mariner Books.)
Verdict:
Fantastic. Buy it here!
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