A 16th century woman in Puerto Rico when it was a small Caribbean outpost of the Spanish Empire, María Teresa de Villalobos was born at sea and lived through turbulent years: the English invasion of the island, a trip to gaudy and magnificent Mexico, the Inquisition and the daily rigors of love and life. A 21st century reader will relish this exciting novel by a popular historian and journalist in Puerto Rico. Loretta Phelps de Córdova is well-known in Puerto Rico for hundreds of newspaper columns, historical articles, radio programs and four books regarding the island's history and culture. Her formal education reflects her passion for writing and history: BA English at Tulsa University, OK; MA History at Centro de Estudios Avanzados in San Juan, PR and PhD History of America at Universidad de Valladolid, Spain. Segments of the novel were featured in the Pulitzer prize-winning THE SAN JUAN STAR. This is Phelps de Córdova's first fictional book; three other novels will be published shortly.