The Good Conscience by Carlos Fuentes paperback book in good used condition "The Good Conscience (Las buenas conciencias, 1959) by Carlos Fuentes is a coming-of-age novel set in the provincial Mexican city of Guanajuato. Jaime Ceballos, the only heir of the reinstated Ceballos family, finds himself caught between the moral ideals instilled by his Catholic education and family, and the corrupt, hypocritical social order around him. His father is gentle but ineffectual; his uncle is powerful but inconsistent in his professed beliefs. Jaime’s internal struggle—between idealism, religion, desire, and the pressure to conform—drives the narrative. Ultimately, Jaime must decide whether he can reject the evils and hypocrisy of his society while preserving personal integrity, or whether conformity will swallow him whole." #book #gift #vintage #fiction #paperback