The Story
She was a friend, lover, and confidante of charismatic Spanish American independence hero Simn Bolvar and, after her death, a nationalist icon in her own right. Yet authors generally have chosen either to romanticize Manuela Senz or to discount her altogether. For Glory and Bolivar: The Remarkable of Life of Manuela Senz, by contrast, offers a comprehensive and cleareyed biography of her. Based on unprecedented archival research, it paints a vivid portrait of the Quitoborn Libertadora, revealing both an exceptional figure and a fleshandblood person whose life broadly reflected the experiences of women during Spanish Americas turbulent Age of Revolution.Already married at the time of her meeting with the famous Liberator, Senz abandoned her husband in order to become not only Bolvars romantic companion, but also his official archivist, a member of his inner circle, and one of his most loyal followers. She played a central role in Spanish South Americas independence drama and eventually in developments leading to the consolidation of new nations. Pamela Murray, for the first time, closely examines Senzs political trajectory including her vital, oftenoverlooked years in exile. She exposes the myths that still surround her. She offers, in short, a nuanced and muchneeded historical perspective, one that balances recognition of Senzs uniqueness with awareness of the broader forces that shaped this dynamic nineteenthcentury woman.
Description
She was a friend, lover, and confidante of charismatic Spanish American independence hero Simn Bolvar and, after her death, a nationalist icon in her own right. Yet authors generally have chosen either to romanticize Manuela Senz or to discount her altogether. For Glory and Bolivar: The Remarkable of Life of Manuela Senz, by contrast, offers a comprehensive and cleareyed biography of her. Based on unprecedented archival research, it paints a vivid portrait of the Quitoborn Libertadora, revealing both an exceptional figure and a fleshandblood person whose life broadly reflected the experiences of women during Spanish Americas turbulent Age of Revolution.Already married at the time of her meeting with the famous Liberator, Senz abandoned her husband in order to become not only Bolvars romantic companion, but also his official archivist, a member of his inner circle, and one of his most loyal followers. She played a central role in Spanish South Americas independence drama and eventually in developments leading to the consolidation of new nations. Pamela Murray, for the first time, closely examines Senzs political trajectory including her vital, oftenoverlooked years in exile. She exposes the myths that still surround her. She offers, in short, a nuanced and muchneeded historical perspective, one that balances recognition of Senzs uniqueness with awareness of the broader forces that shaped this dynamic nineteenthcentury woman.
