“[Prechtel’s] view of the Maya allows us to hear the snap of twigs, the hiss of burning wood, the ageless power in an elder’s voice, the sound of people’s laughter, the sound of his own breaking heart, the beating wings of many fierce souls. And I think that, although they keep a squinting, watchful eye on ‘written accounts,’ the Mayan gods, who hold eloquence above all else, must surely be pleased with this soul, who, in this lifetime, is named Martín Prechtel.”