I knew nothing about El Salvador when I started, beyond a sort of general sense of civil unrest.
In 1989, a group of six Jesuit priests at the university in San Salvador were l gunned down in cold blood, along with a servant woman and her daughter. Trying to maintain the moral high ground, the govt blamed the rebels. But a witness had seen it was an army detachment- though the Americans (in league with the govt) tried to silence her testimony.
I can't better the cover blurb which describes it as "spare and moving". The author takes us back to 1950 when young Spanish priest, Ignacio Ellacuria, signs up to a term in Central America. He describes the Jesuits' final moments, lying on the grass, praying together...and hones in on other characters, the politics (but this is never too dry and convoluted to follow)...and the fact that the true culprits wre never identified.
There's almost a Christ-like feel to the execution. And an echo to the evil of the world today in the corruption and lies...
A memorable work. ( )