Includes bibliographical references (pages xlvii-xlix)
In the Andean mountain community of Killac, Lucia and Don Fernando Marín become advocates for the local Indians who are being exploited by the priest, the governor, and the gentry. "After a romance blossoms between a member of the gentry and the peasant girl that Lucia and Don Fernando have adopted, a dreadful secret prevents their marriage and brings to a climax the novel's exposure of degradation."--Jacket
