A project is described for a Spanish-language reading textbook constructed around a novel portraying a sixteenth-century cultural clash between Spanish conquistadors and the indigenous where Colombia exists today. The novel was an imaginative response to Melo's descriptions (2017) of the exploitation of the indigenous peoples of Colombia by the colonizers representing the royalty of Spain. In the novel, "Secreto Comunal," an empowered female leads her community in overthrowing their oppressors. Presenters will introduce the novel, but the main focus is a premise that experiences with literature are valuable springboards to increase awareness of cultural and historical contexts for learners of Spanish as a second language and heritage Spanish speakers who may be unfamiliar with aspects of colonial history which are so fundamental to an understanding of Latin American culture. The textbook project features activities involving reading and listening to the story, including concepts and vocabulary from early indigenous Chibcha tribes of that region. Sample units -- with explanations from a companion teacher's manual -- will be presented to stimulate discussion regarding the potential for an interdisciplinary approach to support a high-intermediate to advanced Spanish-language curriculum for high-schoolers and adult learners, with implications for second language acquisition and foreign language pedagogy.