"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