In my view, they had to be novels because the Taínos had no written history and a novel’s greater speculative latitude was necessary to achieve commensurate dignity and gravitas of the Taíno and European protagonists. I’ve written both as historical novels for two reasons. Why did you choose to write the series as historical fiction rather than historical nonfiction? It’s a deeper bicultural dive into a history most people think they already know. “Encounters Unforeseen” dramatizes the lives of the same Taíno and European protagonists prior to their encounters in 1492-their childhood educations, love affairs and marriages, rises to power or prominence, and religious beliefs in creation and man’s origin-and then their astonishment, fears, and objectives in 14. Its first chapter contains the information a reader of the book needs to understand about both peoples prior to 1493.

“Columbus and Caonabó” depicts events from September 1493 to April 1498 that many people don’t know much about-Columbus’s invasion of Española and the initial Taíno resistance. I wrote them to be readable independently because there may be different audiences. The history includes enslavements and atrocities, and my books depict them based on the historical record.Ĭan your two novels be read independently? My books are an attempt to tell both sides of that broader story and contribute to a more fulsome appreciation of it. The history of the collision is neither just “a Columbus story,” “a Spanish empire story,” or a “European colonial usurpation story,” but the story of the collision of two proud civilizations-with different social norms and traditions, moral beliefs, and religions.

The collision of European and Native American peoples that began in 1492 influenced the establishment of-and is fundamental to understanding-the world and societies we live in today. Why is it still important for people to understand 1492 and its aftermath, and what do your novels add to our understanding? In 2017 when you released your first book, it was the 525th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage.

Encounters unforeseen by andrew rowen