Seven Cities of Mud (2008)

Two radically different cultures, 16th-century Spanish and ancient Pueblo Indian, collide. Franciscan Fray Agustin leads an expedition to evangelize the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande. He persuades Poli, a widowed Pueblo woman, to be their guide, but Captain Chamuscado and the soldiers take charge, make prisoners of the Franciscans, and begin to seek gold. Conflicts and passions explode--love and faith oppose anger, brutality, hatred, lust, greed and ambition--with tragic consequences. The Seven Cities of Mud is a must for anyone with an interest in Spanish exploration in North America, but also recommended whole-heartedly for those who just have a hankering for an all-round good story. -- Leanna Sain, author of Gate to Nowhere