PRESS RELEASE
The story of what really happened when Columbus arrived in the “New World,” as told by the Taíno people who were impacted
Wheat Ridge, CO — April 4, 2023. In one study, it is believed that almost seven million Taíno people were killed when Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas, yet their perspective is rarely, if ever, told. Taíno (Fulcrum Publishing, April 2023), by José Barreiro, is the untold story of Columbus’s “discovery” told through and by the Taíno people. In 1532, an elderly Taíno man named Guaikán sits down to write his story—an in-depth account of what happened when Columbus landed on Caribbean shores in 1492. As a boy, Guaikán was adopted by Columbus, uniquely positioning him to tell the story of Columbus’s “discovery,” directing our gaze where it rightfully belongs—on the Indigenous people for whom this land had long been home.
As Kirkus Reviews notes, “José Barreiro’s masterfully written historical novel recounts the Indians’ discovery of the ways of the Europeans, as seen by Christopher Columbus’s young adopted Indian son both during their first encounters as well as in Spain. While vividly re-creating the often violent clashes of cultures and expectations that eventually disaffected and decimated the Indigenous populations, Barreiro has maintained total accuracy in his exploration of the Taíno cultures. This forgotten chapter of history makes for fascinating reading by providing an alternative view of the so frequently mythologized encounter and the men who brought it about.”
Wholly revised and updated by author José Barreiro (himself a descendant of the Taíno people) with new information and a new introduction, this richly imagined novel updates Guaikán’s carefully crafted narrative, chronicling what happened to the Taíno people when Columbus arrived and how their lives and culture were ruptured. Through Guaikán’s story, Barreiro penetrates the veil that still clouds the “discovery” of the Americas and in turn gives readers a much-needed glimpse into what really happened in 1492 and its continued impact on our world today.
Taíno is available on: Amazon (paperback) $19.95 (kindle) $19.95 Barnes & Noble Bookshop.org
Indiebound
Contact José Barreiro through his publisher | Kateri@fulcrumbooks.com
Note to Media: José is available for interviews or guest writing. To arrange an interview, contact Kateri Kramer, Fulcrum Publishing Marketing Director. Email: Kateri@fulcrumbooks.com Phone: 303-928-8216