"Vividly re-creates one of the most extraordinary Indian revitalization movements in Latin American history. . . . the first effort I have seen to use fiction as a medium for reconstructing an important historical event from the perspective of a participant group whose only record of it is oral. . . . a kind of people's history."—
-Gary Gossen, American Anthropologist
"Canek" is not a novel by the psychological thriller author Carter Wilson, but rather a translated work that he co-edited and contributed to in 1979. The original novel, Canek: History and Legend of a Maya Hero, was written by Mexican author Ermilo Abreu Gómez. The Carter Wilson who worked on the translation is a different person from the contemporary American thriller writer of the same name.
About the book: Canek
• Original author: Ermilo Abreu Gómez.
• Translators and editors: The 1979 English translation, published by the University of California Press, was edited and translated by Carter Wilson, Mario L. Davila, and Emilio Abreu.
• Subject: The book is a modern narrative about the life and ideas of Jacinto Canek, a legendary Maya hero who led a rebellion in the Yucatán region of Mexico in 1761.
• Genre: The story is described as a biographical fiction or historical novel.
About the thriller author Carter Wilson
• Genre: The popular author of psychological thrillers is known for novels like Tell Me What You Did (2025) and Mister Tender's Girl (2018).
• Not the same person: Reviews and biographical information confirm this Carter Wilson is different from the translator involved with Canek.
Buying options for Canek
Canek is a scholarly translation and may be found at booksellers specializing in older, out-of-print, or academic titles.
• AbeBooks: Lists copies of the translated book, including first editions.
• Amazon: Past listings show both paperback and unknown editions, sometimes including the full list of authors/translators.
• eBay: Listings for used copies, noting the publisher and condition, are available through private sellers
