Title: The golden princess
Description: When Hernan Cortez landed in Mexico in 1519 he met an Indian slave girl, Marina, whose beauty and intelligence destined her to a remarkable career. Few records of her life exist, but she is still a legendary figure among the people of Mexico. The background of her story is one of the most astonishing adventures in history, the conquest of the mighty Aztec empire by four hundred white men; an episode replete with the ingredients of romance - nature's barriers surmounted, feats of arms, fantastic stratagems, enemies overcome. In this novel, Alexander Baron sees Marina and Cortes not only as lovers but as adversaries in a terrible struggle. Cortes, one of history's classical heroes, is depicted in all his power and glory, but the flaw in him, the seed of human weakness in the 'man of destiny', is laid bare. Against him stands Marina, primitive and untaught, but growing, with experience, in mental and moral stature; awakening to something to which her lover is blind - the human search for good - so that a conflict between them becomes inevitable. (The author's) approach to his theme is avowedly romantic. He believes that some aspects of the nature and destiny of man are most truthfully revealed by the romantic vision. His novel abounds with big, vivid characters; but each of them is examined with insight, and is a unique, complex human being.
Subjects: Fiction, Man-woman relationships, Good and evil, English fiction
People: Hernán Cortés (1485-1547), Marina (ca. 1505-ca. 1530)