Taino: A Novel

by José Barreiro

“José [Barreiro] writes the true story in Taíno—the Native view of what Columbus brought. Across the Americas, invasion, and resistance, the Taíno story repeated many times over.” – Chief Oren Lyons (Joagquisho), Turtle Clan, Onondaga Nation The story of what really happened when Columbus arrived in the “New World,” as told by the Taíno people who were impacted 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. 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

Genres: Historical Fiction, Indigenous, Fiction, Native American, Latinx, Historical

364 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2012

About the author

José Barreiro is a Cuban-born American writer, journalist and former professor of Native American Studies at Cornell University. He is a member of the Taíno Nation of the Antilles.

Reviews

[Jazmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly came across this title when I decided it was time to dig further into my roots. It's a good read especially for those who are interested in learning about the natives of the Caribbean. I found it to be a good starting point for myself.

[Cecilia Corzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is invaluable, to have a Taíno first person perspective of a period of time dominated by colonialism and violence, reading this book felt like unlocking the past to our first Caribbean ancestors who have suffered so much under Castilian occupation. It was a devastating read, to truly understand the horrors they were subjected to. Its relevance to current day events is inescapable and is an important resource in understanding the violent machine that is colonialism. Guaikan’s words are a symbol of Taino resistance, survival and legacy, one that we must cherish forever 🌀

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Taino by Jose Barreiro in graduate school and it was the first historical fiction account I read from the lens of an indigenous perspective. Taino, the novel, was originally published in 1992 during the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Caribbean. The author, Jose Barreiro, writes about feeling inspired by the story of resistors such as the legendary Cacique Hatuey and having to contribute a truer narrative about this brutal and unjust history. I am so glad the novel is being rereleased in 2023 and hope this story will reach new readers as a result.

In Taino, we read the story of the colonization of the Caribbean and slaughter of the Taino people from the lens of Guaikán whose Christian name in the Castilian language from the time of his adoption by Christopher Columbus is Diego or Dieguillo Colon. Guaikan is of the Loku Taino people and his mother was Nanache. When the admiral arrives in Guanahani he takes 12 year old Diego under his wing and trains him in the ways of Christianity. Due to his ability to read, write, and speak in both English and his native language, Diego is favored and serves as a translator between his people and the admiral. There are a serious of events that unfold as war and the enslavement of the indigenous and African people take place and as readers we go from witnessing these events through the eyes of Diego as a young boy to seeing the toll it takes on him as he comes of age and becomes a grown man.

I am so grateful that Jose followed the call of his spirit and ancestral intuition to study Diego's story and to put this book in the world. May it serve as continued truth telling of what truly happened and all that was lost and is still stolen by the legacy of colonialism, white supremacy, and systemic oppression.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the e-arc copy!

[Miguel Arvelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of literature our children in the Antilles should read

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and I learned more from my people in this novel than in years of school. While I’m aware this is fiction it does represent a treasure trove in terms of knowledge about our Taino people, it is fun to read, and rekindled my love for my roots. I’m more proud of my Taino heritage now than before reading this.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest review***

This novel spoke to my college-Latin-American-Studies-minor self in a way that no other has in recent years. Guaikán, or Diego Colón, was a Taíno man adopted by Christopher Columbus and narrates this richly detailed account of the colonization of their lands. His voice is so utterly real that I had to keep reminding myself that this was a novel and not simply a translation of historical documents. Guaikán reflects on the moment he first encountered the "covered men," and how he was entranced by them. His fascination led to him having a front row seat to the conquest and all the confusion and brutality that accompanied it. In particular, I loved the parts where he provided very matter-of-fact observations about the colonizers that read like digs. His anthropological curiosity with them flipped the typical narrative we are force-fed here in the US. José Barreiro gave us a treasure that is beautifully expressed, deeply human, and historically necessary.

[Anne Arocho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God this book is so beautiful and heart wrenching

[Nicole Sackin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely enrapturing epic tale of historical fiction.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I will write for you, my Taíno-ni-taíno, natural guaxeri-ti relatives, for those of you who will survive, for those of you in times to come who will remember that your fathers and your mothers, your grandfathers and grandmothers were a people.”

This book and the way that the diary was found to fill it is a reminder that even unknown historical figures are incredibly important. Honestly the indigenous perspective is not taught enough. I’m a Taino descendant and I thought Columbus was a hero until 7th grade! I’m glad I was able to find this and learn a little about actual Taino customs.

[Theresa Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read that gives a unique perspective.

A 3 1/2 star rating is more deserved. It is easy to read while providing a variety of information on the arrival and subsequent travels of Columbus as well as the Taíno culture. My biggest question is: how reliable is it?

[Nicholas Perez]

So there's two versions of this book on GR. This one and the 2012 edition. Given this one is a reprint due out this year (2023) I will add this one to my TBR for now. I just hope it retains José Barreiro's introduction.

[Jamie Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh. As if I could hate white men and Catholicism any more…. Columbus really takes the cake as one of the worst men to walk this Earth. I chose this novel for myself after spending 3 weeks in the Dominican Republican, some of which was spent in local Taíno museums, caves and the former home of Columbus that Diego Colon writes from in this novel. I had limited knowledge of the Taíno history but it was always something I was fascinated in and saddened to learn about. Unfortunately, this type of colonization, genocide and violence has happened to every native culture throughout the world, often to extinction. I hope one day it stood and I’m glad the world had novels like these to preserve history and this beautiful people.

[Naomi Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The main value of the peace pacts was to share the soil, share the bounties of the yucca and maize and other harvest cycles. This was the basis of our law. The world had so much for our people in those days, in the way we made our lives.

We had great fishing, much fowl, iguana, manati, and hutia, great tubers, great fruits, grasses and herbs, and, always, the wish for peace.

I state without hesitation: our Taíno ways sought peace.
We did fight sometimes but briefly and with small conse-quence. Our people simply had not the wish to war.”

and they still wish for peace.

[michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book that makes you think about what really went down when white people came and disrupted the lives of so many. We celebrate holidays like Columbus day and Thanksgiving without giving thought to the horrible sacrifices that were forced upon the native people. My ancestors were both the victims and the aggressors. This is our history. I am a mixture of many peoples, good and bad.

[Kateri Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

TAINO by Jose Barreiro is a beautifully written story of what really happened when Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas. Not only is it a narrative that all Americans should read, but Barreiro writes from the perspective of a Taino man experiencing everything first hand. This book does what great books do- makes the reader empathize with a person different than themselves.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome for a historical fiction fan like me. It showed a different side of things. When I was in grade school, I learned about Columbus "discovering" America. This book tells the other side, which is often overlooked in mainstream culture. If you want to know what really happened in 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, you should read this book!

[Saritza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm using this book for reference for my own work. It's an easy read but there are a lot of inconsistencies with the timeline and narrative structure of the work. Too many modernizations of speech that make the work less authentic, in my opinion. But still good reading.

[Karaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book during the pandemic and I couldn’t put it down. Like other reviews when it was over I wanted more. For years I wanted to learn more about my ancestors and reading something this was more than I expected.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting fictionalized retelling of Columbus's landing in Bermuda from the native Taino point of view. Just when I think the Inquisition can't disgust me any more, I read a new perversion they practiced. As a human race, we seem to lack a sense of balance and it will be our undoing.

[John Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best writings about the native Americans from boriken, now known as Puerto Rico. Great read highly recommend.

[Annie Cardelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good historical fiction

[Parker Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Felt the history in my bones.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Independent Publishers Group, Fulcrum Publishing for an advanced copy of this reissue of novel of historical fiction on the meeting of the New World with the people of the Old World.

The small town I was raised in used their high accreditation for schooling as the focal point for moving into our town. Which was always a surprise to me as I never thought we learned much in our schools. Especially history. Up until the 6th grade part of our class time around Thanksgiving was making paper mats and learning about gourds, not about the life of colonizers and the indigenous people. In fact years later when the schools lost their accreditation, I really wondered what took so long, and how bad the other schools around us were. I had always been a reader and had a better grasp of history than most, but that history was based on things I liked, or was interested in. So I found Taíno by José Barreiro a revelation. A novel that taught me more about history than I think I ever learned in school, and a book that has made me want to learn a lot more.

The book begins with Guaikán, a man who is considered old at the age of fifty-two is asked to write down his memories and history that he remembers by Don Bartolomé de Las Casas, head of the Dominican order that Guaikán has been living with. Guaikán is given paper and is asked to present the meeting of his people the Taíno with Christopher Columbus, a man and situation that Guaikán is familiar with as he was adopted by Columbus and taken away from his village at an early age. Don Bartolomé hopes to use Guaikán memories as a way of protecting the people from exploitation, thought the Don also wants to make it clear that God is present in all their lives, something that Guaikán does not want to be a part of. So Guaikán writes as true as he can about what he experiences and saw, from his father dying before the arrival of Columbus to what brings him to living with the Dominicans in 1532.

A book that reads beautifully and yet instructs in so much. There is a lot to take in and a lot to think about but Barreiro is a very skillful writer and never lets history overwhelm the story, nor does he let the story interfere with the history. Guaikán is a great chronicler, knowing that he can't really tell the truth as, well no on cares, but giving the truth a spin that will make his patron happy, while telling us what is real. Guaikán has gift for snark, sharing a tale in such a way that it is obvious what is happening, and yet not blaming colonizers outright. The descriptions to, the way the land smelled, the air, the food, and the many many atrocities Guaikán found himself amidst while travelling with Columbus. There is a real sense to what there was, and what was lost, and the book is both beautiful and very sad, as readers know things will only get worse as time passes.

This is a reissue, as the book was originally published in 1992, 500 years after Columbus. Some of the book has been revised with new information and a new introduction has been added. A wonderful book, full of great writing, and many disturbing passages. Recommended for readers who would like to know more, and have a better sense of the history that was here that has been lost for so long.

[Xavier Patiño · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heritage Studies Book 2

I found this book on GR while searching for books that would shed some light on my heritage. I am Puerto Rican, so when I typed "Taino" into the search bar and Jose Barreiro's historical fiction novel popped up, I was excited.

Taino is about an indian named Guaikan that was adopted by Christopher Columbus when he first arrived in the Caribbeans. Now a friar, he writes in an account 4o years later describing the events that took place after the fateful meeting of the Spaniards and natives.

I enjoyed learning about the ways of the Tainos, their areitos, or songs that would be sung detailing ancient stories and historic tales. The cohaba they would sniff or inhale, a hallucinogen that they would partake in to communicate with the dead and receive guidance from their ancient ancestors. The legends and stories they believed in and the elder caciques that would lead the peoples and the behikes or shaman that would teach each new generation their ways, speak about their connection to nature and everything in it. The word huracan or "hurricane" is of Taino origin. The use of hammocks or hamacas was what the natives used for sleeping.

I enjoyed the book but towards the end I lost a bit of interest. The narrative didn't grab me the way I thought it would and I can't quite put my finger on the reason why. Despite that, I learned a good amount about Tainos and some history about what occurred on the islands after Columbus's arrival, which was my primary mission. I would say this: 3 stars for the fictional story telling, and 5 stars for the knowledge about the indigenous culture. Barreiro did extensive research on the natives, so what you read is historical knowledge.

I plan to read more books about Tainos and Columbus himself. I am on a mission to learn more about where I come from and who I am. If you are on the same mission as I, then this would be a good place to start.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true story, Taíno is written from the perspective of Guaikán, an elderly Taíno man who—in his youth—was adopted by Christopher Columbus during the colonization of the Caribbean.

José Barreiro makes use of the indigenous perspective in order to draw attention to the devastation of violence and genocide committed against indigenous persons through the lens of native experiences. The story follows Guaikán, as he navigates life from boyhood through his adult years and bears witness to both the war waged upon and the enslavement forced upon his people.

While we are aware of the genocide committed against indigenous populations around the world—particularly within the context of U.S. history (as one based in the U.S.—reading what is essentially a first-person account of this history unfolding in the Caribbean complicates our understanding of how colonization took place, where it took place, and the consequences of this tragic history.

However—in spite of the massacre of the Taino people, in spite of the attempted erasure of Taino culture—Guaikán’s account through this book is a testament to Taino resistance. The indigenous were here, have been here, and will continue to be here. As caretakers of the land, as symbols of survival, and as stewards of history.

[Margret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a birthday gift. Interesting and easy read. I love history especially my culture.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful way to dig into my Puerto Rican heritage and ancestry