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ted_e_c's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
he_j's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, what I don't know about history. I love learning this way!
Just re-read this book and still lived it...& looking forward to visiting Chile, Uruguay & Argentina!!
Just re-read this book and still lived it...& looking forward to visiting Chile, Uruguay & Argentina!!
kscrimshaw's review against another edition
3.0
Carmen Aguirre has obviously lived a fascinating life, but despite that this book was not particularly engaging. Having spent most of her life having to keep secrets and pretend to be someone she wasn't, it must have been very cathartic to get it all out. Unfortunately it also makes the book feel a bit more like a blurt than a tale.
There are just too many people and places (dozens of both) to get a clear picture of or feel for any of them. Even Ale, her sister, remains a bit of an enigma. I can understand not wanting to tell someone else's story, but she is the one consistant person in her life and I came away with no sense of her whatsoever.
There are just too many people and places (dozens of both) to get a clear picture of or feel for any of them. Even Ale, her sister, remains a bit of an enigma. I can understand not wanting to tell someone else's story, but she is the one consistant person in her life and I came away with no sense of her whatsoever.
andrea0301's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a powerful book. I am so grateful I stumbled upon this book when it was mentioned in the 150 years of Canada book as a recommended one regarding a modern Canadian author. This book certainly packed a punch. This is a heavy autobiography for it deals with many difficult subject matters. Her family, exiled from Chile in the late 1970's and whom move to Vancouver Canada are a few tidbits that just scratch the surface of the beginning of the novel. Carmen's parents ultimately divorce and her mother takes up with a man named Bob and together, they join a resistance movement that takes them back into South America (Bolivia and then Argentina) along with Carmen and her sister Ale. Her mother and stepfather certainly made some poor decisions at times, for the cause was their number one priority not their children. This truly affected Carmen throughout her youth in many ways.
However, stunningly, Carmen joins the resistance movement herself when her family gives it up. Her own descriptions of the risks she took for the cause are compelling and emotional. I was gripped by her strength, something many of us would not have the guts to do. The descriptions of South America in the 1970's and 1980's, particularly the atrocities that the US inflicted on some in Central America as well as Grenada and South America were eye-opening and startling. The US clearly would like to remain number one by any means necessary, even if it means loss of civilians by the thousands. A disgusting part of US history that is simply swept under the rug that needs to be discussed more readily.
I would have read this book faster had life not gotten in the way so much. A compelling read about a Modern Canadian (she ultimately moves back to Canada in case you are wondering how she is a Canadian).
However, stunningly, Carmen joins the resistance movement herself when her family gives it up. Her own descriptions of the risks she took for the cause are compelling and emotional. I was gripped by her strength, something many of us would not have the guts to do. The descriptions of South America in the 1970's and 1980's, particularly the atrocities that the US inflicted on some in Central America as well as Grenada and South America were eye-opening and startling. The US clearly would like to remain number one by any means necessary, even if it means loss of civilians by the thousands. A disgusting part of US history that is simply swept under the rug that needs to be discussed more readily.
I would have read this book faster had life not gotten in the way so much. A compelling read about a Modern Canadian (she ultimately moves back to Canada in case you are wondering how she is a Canadian).
susieseeker's review against another edition
4.0
For me, this book was a page turner. I don't read a lot of non-fiction and I thought this book was great.
The other reviewers on here have given great descriptions of the story so I won't go into detail. The author chronicles growing up and living in various places during the Pinochet regime in Argentina in the 1980s. Her whole family is involved in the resistance.
Reading about her life through her teen years is incredible. What was I doing when I was 12, 13, 14? I can tell you what I was not doing. I was not moving from house to house to avoid detection. I was not living in fear of being picked up by the police, knowing I would be tortured and perhaps killed. I was not memorizing documents and then having to burn them because they were so incriminating. I was not trained to keep secrets and learn false identities. I was not going to strange places to pass information along to strangers and hope that I have identified the right person. It goes on.
I heard the author being interviewed on CBC about her subsequent book, which is about a different topic. That's what lead me to this book. How she survived her growing up is a testament to her strength and spirit.
The description on Goodreads says that this book is "darkly comic", which I don't see at all. Some of her stories certainly deal with the mundane aspects of the life of a teenager but "darkly comic"? Not in my eyes.
I'm glad I read it.
The other reviewers on here have given great descriptions of the story so I won't go into detail. The author chronicles growing up and living in various places during the Pinochet regime in Argentina in the 1980s. Her whole family is involved in the resistance.
Reading about her life through her teen years is incredible. What was I doing when I was 12, 13, 14? I can tell you what I was not doing. I was not moving from house to house to avoid detection. I was not living in fear of being picked up by the police, knowing I would be tortured and perhaps killed. I was not memorizing documents and then having to burn them because they were so incriminating. I was not trained to keep secrets and learn false identities. I was not going to strange places to pass information along to strangers and hope that I have identified the right person. It goes on.
I heard the author being interviewed on CBC about her subsequent book, which is about a different topic. That's what lead me to this book. How she survived her growing up is a testament to her strength and spirit.
The description on Goodreads says that this book is "darkly comic", which I don't see at all. Some of her stories certainly deal with the mundane aspects of the life of a teenager but "darkly comic"? Not in my eyes.
I'm glad I read it.
jlschutte's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to love this one since it was the winner of the Canada Reads 2012 and I did like it but I didn't love it. I would give it another 1/2 star if possible.
I certainly learned a lot about Latin America, although at times I flip back and forth to keep track of the different leaders and what Country they were from.
I expected more emotion from the author since it was her story to tell - there is a lot of description of what happens but not a lot about how these journeys affected her. I can't even image what it would have been like to live that life.
I certainly learned a lot about Latin America, although at times I flip back and forth to keep track of the different leaders and what Country they were from.
I expected more emotion from the author since it was her story to tell - there is a lot of description of what happens but not a lot about how these journeys affected her. I can't even image what it would have been like to live that life.
lisalikesdogs's review against another edition
3.0
A good read but I really didn't feel like there was enough about why exactly the resistance in South America was necessary, etc. Knowing next to nothing about South American politics probably didn't help me here, but I didn't really feel like I was rooting for the revolutionaries and it seems like a book that should have had me doing so.