"In the central Yucatan a group of Maya Indian workers revolt against the corrupt oligarchy of government, business, the official union, and the press. Two young men - a traditional Maya leader and a Mexican-American lawyer - are drawn into ever deeper commitment to the struggle. When they are caught in a trap and thrown into jail, the lawyer declares a hunger strike.".

"The story of the Maya workers, and of their village, is narrated in a series of flashbacks that alternate with the deprivations and interrogations in the prison. Day by day, the young lawyer approaches death, and in his discussions with his friend and cell mate, we find two different definitions of love, loyalty, and courage, each man's version determined by the culture from which he springs.".

"From the simple rituals performed on the floor of the cell, the use of arcane plants, and the sighting of stars through the tiny barred window, there gradually emerges a kind of map of the Maya cosmos, and an introduction to their understanding of time, medicine, and proper behavior."--BOOK JACKET.