"Set mainly in San José between 1885-89, with frequent jumps to other years and locales, Chase's historical novel deftly details the dialectic established between an authoritarian figure (José Joaquín Rodríguez) and a valiant intellectual (Manuelita Brenes y Peralta), who was Chase's relative. The founding of political parties and intrigues, as well as most of Costa Rica's insurgents and founding figures, appear in this novel. Brenes y Peralta's New York apartment is a refuge for Spanish American intellectuals like Vasconcelos, Mistral, Antonieta Rivas Mercado, Salomón de la Selva, Pedro Albizú Campos, Rómulo Gallegos, and Manuel Ugarte. Some of the events are apocryphal, but Chase's subtle intertwining of history, letters, psychological insights, and obvious research make this one of the best novels of this period"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.