They Forged the Signature of God

They Forged the Signature of God,Viriato Sencion, Curbstone Press, 1995

        This book takes place mostly at a seminary in the Dominican Republic. It's about three seminary students suffering from church-state oppression, who, quietly, find themselves part of the active political opposition. It's also about the president of the country, Dr. Ramos, who remains in power through tyranny and manipulation, and who, purely on grounds of mental capacity, should have stepped down several years ago. It is also the story of an ex-seminarian who makes himself indispensable to Dr. Ramos with the intention of bringing him down.

        To American readers, raised on sex, violence, and car chases, this book might seem pretty tame and boring. It does take some work on the part of the reader, but it's actually much better than that.

        When first published in the Dominican Republic, the country's president went on national TV to publicly denounce the book. It then went on to become the best-selling book in the history of the Dominican Republic. It's that good, that realistic, and that much worth reading.