In Fugitive Freedom, William B. Taylor--the master of historical writing on colonial Mexico--shows how the charlatan lives of two Mexican men from the social margins unmask much more than a plebeian, pícaro underworld in New Spain. The vagrant hearts, lies, and impersonations of the two tricksters and the punishments they endured show how Spanish rule in the Americas, with its Inquisition, state managers, and widespread inequalities, was failing and flourishing at the same time.--Davíd Carrasco, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor for the Study of Latin America, Harvard Divinity School Precarity bites and misfortune beckons, struggle and imposture are ubiquitous, and only fictions seem true. Taylor's investigation offers a remarkably immersive experience. Broad and penetrating research and a light touch allow two of society's purported ne'er-do-wells to emerge from the fascinating stories they tell.--Kenneth Mills, J. Frederick Hoffman Professor of History, University of Michigan Erudite and empathetic in equal measure, Fugitive Freedom challenges us to rethink our understanding of late colonial Mexico. Taylor's meticulous reconstruction of the hidden worlds of two outcasts--both priest impersonators--reveals not only their fragmented and marginalized lives but also the fractures and chasms in the edifice of the Spanish empire more broadly. It is a stunning work of historical scholarship.--Susan Deans-Smith, Associate Professor of History, University of Texas at Austin