The Sun, He Dies: A Novel about the End of the Aztec World

I also read this book in 8th grade (in the D.C. area), and can still remember being overwhelmed by its story and imagery. I remember a favorite in my class was the page about Cortez making love to the gold. On a recent trip to Mexico, I visited the Aztec island of Mexcaltitan to try to learn more about their history. Maybe I thought I would see Nanautzin... This book did the best job I have seen of capturing the point of view of the outsider, one who belongs to both 2 tribes and no tribes. Really, it is about Nanautzin and his failure to exist in either society, magnified by the failure of the Aztecs to continue existing at all.Also recommended: Cortez the Killer by Neil Young.

I read The Sun, He Dies for my 8th grade english class several years ago, and we were struck by the intensity of the images and stark reality portrayed in this book. Mr. Highwater does a superb job in making the reader feel as if they were actually there repelling the Spaniards from Teotihuacan (sp?). This is the best book ever written and it is a shame that it went out of print. that is an honor it did not deserve.