Our Lives Are the Rivers Hardcover - 2006

From the publisher

From critically acclaimed author Jaime Manrique, comes a breathtaking, sweeping novel based on the life of one of the most controversial women in the history of the Americas.

Before there was an Eva Peron, Collette, or Mata Hari, there was Manuela Saenz. Arguably one of the most fascinatingly sexy women in all history, she single-handedly helped to secure independence for much of South America from Spain.

Based on actual events, Our Lives Are The Rivers tells the life story of a woman who was willing to risk it all for her country -and her lover-and in whose legacy lies the history of an entire continent.

The novel begins in 1822, when Simon Bolivar, known as The Liberator, marches into Quito, victoriously leading an army that had overthrown its Spanish rulers, winning independence for a giant swath of land in what is now South America.

As he makes his way through the cheering crowds on the streets, his eye catches sight of Manuel Saenz, a beautiful young woman of means who wore on her chest the gold medal of Knight of the Sun-the first honor given by the new republic to any woman in the New World. The attraction between them was so strong, they became lovers that same night, and remained together for the following 8 years, the last of Bolivar's life.

Told from the point of view of Manuela Saenz, as well as that of her two loyal slaves, Our Lives Are The Rivers is a novel of intoxicating love, passion, and adventure, with dynamic continent struggling for its own identity as its backdrop.