William Vlach

Winner of the 2015 BAIPA Fiction Book Award, The Golden Chalice of Hunahpú: A Novel of the Spanish Attack on the Maya is the remarkable story of the great conflict between the Spanish conquistadores and the Maya of Guatemala. The beautiful Beatriz, wife of Pedro de Alvarado, the most barbaric of conquerors, becomes the ruler of all the Americas. Belehé Qat, a Mayan prince, whose love for Xtah transcends the bloody war, must enter into the Mayan underworld to achieve manhood. Father Domingo, a corpulent Dominican, is comically dragged into heroism thereby finding love. Their incredible stories intertwine leading to the volcanic climax. This compelling tale, thoroughly researched and true to the time and culture, chronicles the human tragedy of conquest and the mythic vitality of the defiant Maya. Romance, humor and drama make this literary historical novel lively and riveting. "The book is barely three-hundred pages long but feels as satisfying as an epic three times that length. Recommended." -Historical Novel Society Review