When a Woman Rises

by Christine Eber

When a woman rises, a community is nourished. In the Maya township of Chenalhó in Chiapas, Veronica, a teenage girl, is recovering from a disastrous early marriage. Spurred on by a community program of women telling their stories, she asks her mother Magdalena to record the story of her growing up and that of her best friend, Lucia. Magdalena, step by step, day by day, summons the soul of her comadre who has disappeared. She tells how, as young girls, they yearned to be teachers. How poverty, cultural beliefs, and gender roles stole away their dreams. Magdalena married and bore children, finding expression as a community organizer. Lucia's path diverged radically. Her gift was to be a healing woman, but without knowing how or why, she fell in love with a nun. Distraught, she joined the Zapatistas in the wilderness and struggled with alcoholism. Through it all, Magdalena and Lucia maintained their deep friendship. Then Lucia went north to work in the fields and disappeared. Veronica, with her mother's help, will carry this understanding into the future.

In 1987, Christine Engla Eber lived for a year with a family in San Pedro Chenalhó, doing fieldwork for her PhD in Anthropology. She shared daily life with women and their families, witnessing the difficulties they faced. It changed her life. Now, as a respected anthropologist, she writes of their communities. She lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Genres: Fiction, Feminism, Contemporary, Friendship, Latinx, Womens

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Elaine Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author, Christine Eber shortly after I moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Ms. Eber is a driving force behind "Weaving For Justice" a women's weaving cooperative in highland Chiapas, Mexico. The story she tells is of the deep friendships, spiritual awakenings, struggles, tragedies and hopes of an indigenous Maya community. The story moved me to tears with its authentic voice and spirit. I am blessed to have purchased numerous weavings from these strong and determined woman. After finishing the book, I felt as if I was closer to understanding the differences and similarities between our cultures.

[J.J. Amaworo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully-written story-within-a-story set in a Mayan community in Chiapas, Mexico. The themes of tradition versus modernity and women's emancipation are woven through the novel seamlessly, and the central figure of Lucia, a healer and a future Zapatista leader, is compelling. It's a tale simply and gently told. Wonderful.

[Christina Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Christine Eber does an excellent job weaving ethnography and storytelling into the narrative, and captured cultural details that give readers a beautiful snapshot into the lives of women in indigenous Maya communities. This book was well worth the wait.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel brings attention to the life of the tsotsil women in Chiapas, but also, and most importantly, in storytelling. Veronica is a young tsostil woman who has gotten job recording stories from women in her community; she chooses to record her mother, but her mother decides to talk about her best friend of childhood, Lucía.

With a weaving structure, Christine Eber creates a moving tale about spirituality, culture, religion, politics, traditions, love and friendship -words that, by the way, do not exist, but are greatly understood by these three tsotsil women.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very beautiful, moving book about a family in a village of Chiapas. Mother and daughter are weavers, father works the land. Life is very tough but the love of family and traditions are very strong. I learned a great deal about the Mayan community that I didn't know before. A very touching book.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my favorite novels have been written by anthropologists. This book is filled with so much love and respect, I really enjoyed meeting the women and hearing their stories.

[Bev]

enjoyed

[Charley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is written in very simple language, which made it really hard for me in the beginning to get into the flow of the book, but in the end I really liked the book.

[Victoria Wolcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful book that takes you into the lives of indigenous communities.

[Lorne Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book giving a special insight into the daily lives of indigenous people in the Chiapas Highlands. Really engaging and made me think a lot about the struggles Australian indigenous people have.

[CYNDY REICHGELT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a woman anthropologist who lived a year in Chiapas, Mexico among the indigenous people. Lovely portrayal of their beliefs and their lives.

[Lulaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó porque es informativo y nos acerca de una manera muy sutil y humana a una realidad que muchos no vivimos todos los días. Nos permite entender otras culturas y empatizar.
Tal vez por momentos sentí la escritura un poco monótona y sin tantas metáforas, pero es un estilo también y es gracias a él que podemos acercarnos a otras perspectivas de una forma transparente

[Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent glimpse into indigenous Maya life