Manuela

MANUELA is a story of bravery, romance, patriotism, revolution, and intrigue based on the true life of a fascinating and powerful woman who has been compared to Evita Peron.In no other period did the world change so much as in the early 1800's. Not only was Europe engaged in the Napoleonic wars, but the South American people were fighting for independence from Spain. One of the most important statesmen and military heroes history has ever known emerged out of this period. Simón Bolívar, hailed as The Liberator, emancipated the countries now known as Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú, and Bolivia. While Bolívar was conquering an area almost five times that of Napoleon's conquests, a woman was by his side whom history has nearly forgotten. Manuela Sáenz was a member of Bolívar's staff, a colonel in his army during a period when women were frowned on for doing anything other than looking pretty. She faced his greatest challenges with him, and even saved his life. Because she was a soul of intense integrity, she accumulated political enemies who made sure she was written out of the annals of the countries she helped to emancipate. In the many accounts of Bolívar's life, Manuela Sáenz is sometimes mentioned, but only in passing and then often inaccurately. This is the story of a brave woman, born in scandal, who rose to the heights of political power and who learned to love in a world torn apart by war.This is the love story of Simón Bolívar and Manuela Sáenz.