In a short, parable-like style, Jamaican-born novelist Anthony Winkler reaches back to the 16th-century Spanish conquest of his homeland for God Carlos, a tale of the frequently tragic but also comic clash of races and religions.
The story begins in Cadiz, where Spanish sailor Carlos is hired by Alonso de la Serena, a Mallorcan captain and ship owner, to crew on the Santa Inez on a voyage to the West Indies, where he hopes to find gold and undiscovered lands to carry his name in cartographic immortality.
As the Spaniards set off for the "new world," a simple Jamaican man, Orocobix, carries his recently dead uncle to the tribal burial cave. Orocobix is special among the Arawak because he has met the white gods of Columbus's landing and tells stories of their power and immortality. When the Santa Inez arrives off the coast of Jamaica, it is Orocobix who paddles out alone to meet them and prostrate himself before the first white man he sees, the God Carlos. On an island without extremes of weather or local enemies and with abundant grains, fruits and fish, the peaceful Arawak live unashamedly naked.
Simple as Winkler's parable may sound, his narrative is rich in historical detail and he illustrates the epic forces behind the conquest of the Arawaks. He also guides us carefully through the daily routines of life aboard a 16th-century Spanish vessel. Details like his description of the jardines--seats hung over the rails for the men to relieve themselves--are downright fascinating. --Bruce Jacobs, founding partner, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, Kan.