Hungry Lightning: Notes of a Woman Anthropologist in Venezuela

by Pei-Lin Yu

A young student of anthropology receives an offer she can't the chance to live among the Pumé, a South American hunting-and-gathering people who call the tropical Venezuelan savannah home. During their time in the village of Doro Aná, the author and the principal researcher study a vanishing way of life in which cash money, the written word, automobiles, and airplanes are rare and frightening intrusions. Adopted into a Pumé family, Yu's informal and personal accounts of events during her two year stay sparkle with descriptive flourishes and turns of phrase as she describes the daily cycles of birth, growth, romance, sickness, healing, and death among the villagers. Enlivened with the author's own illustrations, Yu's journal entries seek to present through a young American's eyes a sketch of her Pumé family, their heroic struggle to survive in a changing world, and the power and mystery of the Pumé way of life.
"In Hungry Lightning we glimpse haunting fragments of life among the Pumé Indians. We find an intimate, deeply feminine--but ever-so-slightly jaded and strangely melancholic--voice savoring the tastes and smells of life lived in the Venezuelan savanna. A complexly sensual portrait."--Barbara Tedlock

Genres: Anthropology, School

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Madysen Kumpula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was assigned this book for an anthropology class and did not expect to like it as much as I did! Deeply personal, extremely informative, and wildly humbling, Pei-Lin paints a beautiful picture of the Pume way of life in the Venezuelan interior. The way that day-to-day activity is described with such reverence and care for detail shows her respect for their way of life which makes reading it all the more interesting. I'm glad that I read this book!

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because its so honest. Pei -Lin Yu writes and expresses herself well, and doesn't glorify or critique the Pume. Her voice is thoughtful, sometimes humorous, and she has such an ability to observe and record small details that make a book come alive. Sometimes the text has a melancholy air, but you'll understand when reading it why this is so. The author isn't one to preach - she bounces back quickly and dwells mainly on the here and now as it was when she was in Venezuela during the mid 1990's. I hope you read this book and that Pei - Lin Yuy will write and publish more.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely incredible. Dr. Yu truly has a gift with words. The descriptions were simply stunning, and her writing was so raw and so real. It never felt contrived or forced, even though I'd guess that there were changes or additions when it came time to type up the journal. Dr. Yu gets additional bonus points for mentioning my favorite dinosaur. (You didn't ask, but it's an archaeopteryx - it should be more socially acceptable to ask adults what their favorite dinos are.) Her artwork served to enhance her journal entries and I remained on the edge of my seat from start to end, just wanting to know more. I lamented the shortness of the entries. I embraced the brief summaries at the front of each designated section of the book, and if I could have actually set the book down to do something else - a virtual impossibility given its compelling nature - I would have pulled out my weaving efforts because this book made me want to pick back up all of my practical projects once more. This book blew me away. It is hands down my favorite read of the year.

I was suffering a serious case of burnout, and I happened to stumble across this book. I feel absolutely revived after having finished it. My first action after finishing it was to gush profusely to anyone in the house who would listen (being told to "please stop talking" by my little one), followed by hopping on the computer, pulling up both Dr. Yu's and Dr. Greaves' curriculum vitae to start downloading both the dissertation and their respected published articles, and then, in that excitement, sending off two emails that sound like they're written by a 1960s teen girl meeting the Beatles - loud, choppy, disjointed, and full of a bunch of exclamations. I swear I am neither a teen girl, nor have I ever squealed like one, but this book prompted what I imagine would be close to that level of excitement, minus the decibel volume, for me. I absolutely positively cannot wait to dive into Dr. Yu's collected body of work and Dr. Greaves' dissertation on the Pume. I mention this not to make myself sound like a bloody idiot, but instead to highlight how amazing this book was - that not only did I do these things after reading it, I was willing to share them in the review to highlight just how much I recommend this book. (But it's okay, you can think it's silly if you want to. I do, but I'd also write the world's choppiest fan letters all over again and happily make a fool of myself a second time if I could be able to read this one for the first time once more. It's that good.) Dr. Yu has my deepest and sincerest thanks for writing and publishing this book.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a college Anthropology class a few years back and it has absolutely stuck with me ever since. I'm now majoring in Archaeology and not a week goes by I don't think about this book and how it applies to studying now gone civilizations. It's perhaps the most influential book I've read for my career. That said, even if you are not a student or have no background in anthropology - I still can't recommend this book enough. It's incredibly well-written, a page-turner, and will leave you feeling you understand humanity more.

[Zaya Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book that i read for my anthropology class. I was surprised by how i began to feel connected to the people in the book. Pei-Lin Yu uses vivid descriptive language which allows the reader to picture the setting and get to know each of the Pume as individuals. There were times when i was reading where i found that i was on the edge of my seat fully invested in the story. This book touches on some very scary topics and makes the reader feel empathy and even anger at the Venezuelan government for how they treat the Pume. This book was eye opening as well as heartfelt.

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I read it for a class but really enjoyed the way the author shares the story. It reads more like an honest diary than a scholarly book. It was easy to read, but very thoughtful and an honest and insightful account of Dr. Yu's account living among the Pume. I'm writing this review after a bit of time, but I still think about this book every now and then.

[Haili Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I read it for a cultural anthropology class and I think about it all the time. The author pours so much thought into her writing. I loved learning about the culture of the pum people and felt love for them all by the end. Beautiful book.

[Addison · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had to read this book for my cultural anthropology class and while i loved the writing and the amazing information inside it was so slow for me but that may be a me thing

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for class, but I really enjoyed it. I leaned a lot and felt like I was reading letters from a friend. I really enjoyed reading this and I’m glad I read it for class.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Dr. Yu's writings on her experiences in fieldwork anthropology. This is an entertaining book for anyone to read, much more real than a TV documentary. She is both professional and personal in her narratives. I am sorry to see her go, we lost a great anthropologist in Sacramento.

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic first-hand account from an anthropologist in the field.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic descriptive of life with the Pume Indians from a woman's perspective.

[Mattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the hunter gatherer people's of Venezuela. Pei-Lin Yu knows her stuff and knows how to keep a reader interested. Also, got to skype with her during a class, she's really nice!