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Fifty-seven-year-old Isabel Condorcanqui is extricated from a shed in southern Dallas, where she suffered torture and sexual abuse. As Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials threaten to deport her, Isabel insists that she was assaulted at the behest of the Peruvian government. Facing the scrutiny of two American lawyers, David Levine and Gloria Garcia, Isabel reveals that she was kidnapped from a school near Cuzco at the age of seventeen by “agents of the state.” She claims to be descended from a self-proclaimed “king of the Incas” who has proven an inspiration to rebels throughout South America. She suspects that her lineage makes her a threat to the current authoritarian regime in Peru.
As David delves deeper into Isabel’s past and the complex history of Peruvian politics, he learns about Simón Bolívar, the “George Washington of South America,” whose military exploits led to the founding of five nations and whose heart is said to have disappeared shortly after his death, its current whereabouts unknown. He learns about Pachamama, the “Sacred Mother” whose spirit is said to haunt Cerro Rico, a mountain in the Andes, and the cosmic serpent said to be linked with Isabel’s bloodline. And, much to his surprise, he learns that Isabel’s brother Antonio, long thought dead, is still living.
Driven almost entirely by dialogue, Donnelly’s book shines as a primer on South American lore and conflicts. The narrative serves as a means of making the learning of history palatable for those who may never have picked up a nonfiction book on the region. From the beginning, the reader is invested in the mystery of Isabel’s origins and the question of her ultimate fate. Her plight serves as a window into the ongoing crises of sex trafficking and official corruption. Donnelly serves up a powerfully informative book, laudable for its intelligence and courage.