I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong . how such a phenomenon could have sprouted and bloomed under the most adverse circumstances of Time and place.. . .
Readers will, at once, share with Chavez his absorption in this man and, also wonder . a personality to be reckoned with, whether as hero or villain, or both. . .
Chavez was a curious and indefatigable researcher and he used these talents well while delving into the facts and legends surrounding Padre Martinez most poignant and colorful life-drama .
Their philosophic differences ultimately led to Martnez suspension and excommunication.
With the advent of Bishop Lamy, public attention became focused on these two dynamic personalities. a champion of the underdog. . . a master of jurisprudence and canon law . . .
Martnez was continually at the forefront of the public and political forums .
Fray Angelico Chavez, articulate and well-versed in New Mexicana, vividly records the life of the controversial Padre of Taos so that the reader gains full measure of his surroundings and o the times.
Ecclesiastes 9: 11With these words, the epitaph Padre Martnez chose for himself, the reader is drawn into a stirring and provocative biography recounted by a master storyteller. but Time and chance happenethto them all. . .
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong
