The Mission

If you've seen the excellent Roland Joffe film with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons, you'll understand the theme of guilt and redemption that runs like a wound through this book, but you won't be prepared for the detail of the book. It tells the story of Mendoza, a fiercely protective elder brother, strong and disciplined worker, and experienced rapist/murderer--all roles he squirms away from, but has to acknowledge. When he kills his brother in a moment of passion he tries (horribly, painfully) to gain redemption through the Jesuit order. Father Gabriel, his spiritual protector and friend, also has a struggle, not as obvious but no less difficult.Read it well and then see the film, which is not an adaptation of this book but a re-working of the story (the film is not really about Mendoza or Gabriel--it's a commentary on regret through the eyes of a minor character in the book, Altamirano). Both are challenging and well worth the effort.