Torn from the Nest

Clorinda Matto de Turner was one of the major literary figures of nineteenth-century Peru. Her first novel, Aves Sin Nido (Torn from the Nest) was a landmark work in the indigenismo genre which depicts the lives of contemporary Indians in the rural setting. The novel's initial success was due to its explicit and critical treatment of the problems of the indigenous population of Peru and because of its attack on the immorality of the priesthood. The plot involves a young couple who arrive in the Peruvian province where the Indians are exploited by landowners and public officials and the women are especially abused by local priests. The idealistic couple attempt to improve the lives of the Indians, but encounter difficulties at every turn. This novel has not been translated since 1904.