A novel by the Peruvian writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, based on real historical events in late nineteenth-century Brazil. The work tells the story of a religious rebellion in Canudos led by the charismatic preacher Antônio Conselheiro. The author masterfully intertwines the fates of many characters against a backdrop of social upheaval, religious fanaticism, and political intrigue.