Lucia Herrera never backed away from a fight. He was a tough man from a tough place-rthern New Mexico. When the U.S. Army entered New Mexico in 1846, Lucia knew that changes were coming. The rules of the old frontier longer applied. America law w governed New Mexico. When Lucia caught his wife in bed with ather man, he faced a difficult decision. Before the U.S. conquest, Lucia would have killed the other man without hesitation. But faced with the possibility of doing time in an American prison, Lucia spared the man's life, setting off a series of events that would bring great misfortune to Lucia and his family. For the rest of his life, Lucia was haunted by his decision and struggled to maintain his sense of hor in a changing world. In Timely Conquest, Jerry Martinez tells the story of his great-grandfathers, Lucia Herrera and Jesus Maria Martin, as they adapt to life in New Mexico under U.S. control. They trade and travel with Americans and Indians, they fight in the Civil War, and they experience love and loss. Timely Conquest offers a fascinating snapshot of a time of change for the American West and for the people who called it home.