A Catholic jungle pyre where people burn for their sins

Gabriela Cabezón Cámara's novel, "The Blinding Light" (translated from Spanish as "Las Mellizas del Árbol de Naranja"), is a deeply sensual and visceral work that plunges readers into the brutal realities of 17th-century South America. The narrative pits the Spanish conquistadors against the formidable power of the Amazon rainforest, with the reviewer clearly siding with the latter.

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It is a sensual novel that both stinks and tastes sweet. It pits the Spanish conquerors of South America against the power of the rainforest. There is no doubt about who is being cheered on, writes Josefin Olevik.

The story centers on Antonio, a soldier from the Basque Country, who finds himself chained and immersed in filth within a jungle barracks. The novel frequently evokes strong sensory details, often bordering on the unpleasant, with descriptions of unwashed bodies, foul breath, terror, and burnt flesh. Yet, this darkness is juxtaposed with the vibrant sensory experiences of the rainforest: the explosion of floral colors, the smooth river waters, and the sweetness of fruits.

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Often it stinks of unwashed bodies, bad breath, horror, and burnt meat. But in the rainforest, there is also the color explosion of flowers, the smooth river water, and the sweetness of fruits.

Within the confines of the barracks, a grim spectacle unfolds. People are routinely burned at the stake as a form of purification, driven by a harsh interpretation of Catholicism. The narrative places the reader as an observer to this ongoing slaughter, highlighting the dehumanizing environment where individual worth has been stripped away. The bishop and captain, fueled by religious fervor and King Philip II's directives, orchestrate these burnings to cleanse themselves and the Old World.

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People are routinely burned at the stake on a large pyre. Who shall we take today? The captain is tired of the one-eyed soldier, in with him. Pederasts and sodomites shall burn. If no one else is found, a few Indians are thrown in, they melt down into a single being.

Despite the pervasive darkness, a glimmer of humanity emerges. Antonio, spared from his own punishment, discovers a capacity for compassion. He rescues two young indigenous girls and two monkeys who were enslaved by the bishop, fleeing with them into the forest. From this sanctuary, he begins to document his life's journey, moving from his past as a convent girl in the Basque Country to becoming a hardened soldier in the New World. The novel, which has received accolades like the National Book Award and a Booker Prize nomination, is noted for its mythic rather than purely historical approach.

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The bishop and the captain rule, both hunted and spurred on by Catholicism's hard gaze on desire and sin. They are happy to burn large quantities of subordinates to purify themselves, Spain, The Old World, and the church.