They Forged the Signature of God: A Novel

This vivid exposé of corruption and political tyranny in the Dominican Republic rang so true to the reality that the President of that country went on television to denounce the book. They Forged the Signature of God went on to become the best-selling book in the history of the Dominican Republic. 

Sención's novel follows the lives of three seminary students who suffer from church-state oppression. The book also gives a chilling portrai of Dr. Ramos, a sinister autocrat, who manages to survive six terms as president of his country through manipulation and tyranny. This finely textured novel gives a vivid picture of the internal politics of the Dominican Republic.

"Los que falsificaron la firma de Dios (1992), a chilling picture of internal politics in the Dominican Republic, became that country's best-selling ever work of fiction. Tracing the lives of three seminarians persecuted by Church and state, allegory and gallows humor portray political power gone awry. A lively translation, but no introduction"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.

This vivid expose of corruption and political tyranny in the Dominican Republic rang so true to the reality that the President of that country went on TV to denounce the book. They Forged the Signature of God went on to become the best-selling book in the history of the Dominican Republic. Sencion's novel follows the lives of three seminary students who suffer from church-state oppression. The book also gives a chilling portrait of Dr. Ramos, a sinister autocrat, who manages to survive six terms as president of his country through manipulation and tyranny. This finely textured novel gives a vivid picture of the internal politics of The Dominican Republic.

Publishers Weekly

It's almost impossible to discuss Dominican author Sencin's They Forged the Signature of God without first discussing the controversy surrounding it. Written in Spanish, it won the Dominican Republic's National Prize Novel Award in 1993, but its thinly disguised depiction of the country's recent Trujillo-Balaguer regime resulted in President Balaguer denouncing the writer. The prize was subsequently denied, a scandal ensued and this, Sencion's first book, became the bestselling novel in the history of the Dominican Republic. Sencin's style may at first appear reminiscent of other Spanish-speaking authors, but not only is his tale original, it's clever almost to a fault. They Forged the Signature of God follows the interwoven destinies of three young seminary students who move from overbearing Catholicism into the even more brutal world of Dominican politics. Narrated like a tangential, rambling story told by your grandfather, the twists and events of their lives lead to many entertaining, digressive tales about a host of other individuals. However, Sencin's depiction of a recent, barbaric past detracts from the vibrancy of these anecdotes, and unfortunately, in this story the political gives way to polemic. They Forged the Signature of God is a thorough, provoking novel, and though Sencin's fame may rest more with his activism than with his creativity, one can only hope that he continues to devote time and effort to the latter. (Feb.)