BOTM December 2023 Don't Be Afraid, Gringo

[Celia]

There was a two-way tie for second place, so I unofficially changed my vote to break the tie

[Celia]

This is the story of Elvia Alvarado's life in Honduras. She talks about how it was growing up for her. Her and her family were very poor. Her father was a campesino (farmer), but he didn't have any land of his own. He worked for big land owners, while her mother raised chickens and pigs and baked bread to sell at the market.

Her family had 7 children-5 girls and 2 boys.

[GailW]

FYI - I just ordered this from Abebooks. Less than $5.00 used and free shipping.

[NancyJ]

My library has a copy in the closed stacks downtown, so I put in a request.

[Celia]

Looking forward to your comments.

Celia

[GailW]

Just started this today. I'll be back!

[GailW]

I swear this is the seventh time I'm starting a review of the book. I am so torn. It is an important book. Ms. Alvarado is a force to be reckoned with and a testament to what can be done in the face of all odds. Could I have ever been that dedicated, that fearless. I think not. So. Why could I not ever get fully engaged with the book? I don't know. I'm blaming it on the timing of reading it. I've put it in my "to be reread" pile.

[Gail]

I agree Gail. This is an incredibly important book and I learned a great deal about the political situation in Honduras but more importantly about the social and living conditions of the campesinos of Honduras. Alvarado's voice is a particularly strong one and there is something that is very impressive about telling us "Americans" what we need to do to stand up to our government and change the conditions in Central America by changing our government policies. On the other hand, the engagement I felt was like someone that was watching through a thick window. Could I simply not see through the window or did I not have the presence of mind right now to totally grasp? I think part of the problem was that it was set in 1985, which now seems long ago, although I doubt that much has changed since then. I am very glad I read it and I gave it 4 stars.

[Andrea]

I am ordering my copy tonight.

[Amanda]

I read this one earlier in the month but just getting to posting now since the holidays turned out to be a bad health period for me.

I can understand how others here respected it but had a harder time getting engaged in it, but I really got into it and gave it 5 stars. I was really impressed by the matter-of-fact no over-intellectualizing tone that Alvarado takes in explaining exactly how the poorly named "good neighbor policy" that exploded during the Reagan years really oppressed Honduras. Admittedly, this is one of my favorite subjects that I get to teach my AP World History kids, so there was some bias there on my part. And to say something contentious from my personal perspective: I love anything that precisely skewers the Reagan administration and the manicured image as a 'good' president when globally (and continuing to this day based on the consequences of his mass deregulation) he was one of the greater evils of the late 20th century.

Listening to voices speaking against colonialism (including economic neocolonialism) is such an important part of getting a balanced view of the superpowers of history, made all the more powerful as it comes from someone on the ground of the effects of this oppression, and in the grassroots of the fight against it.