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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This book is 1/10 of the challenge "The StoryGraph Reads the World 2025".
Ladydi Martinez is born into a world where being a girl is a dangerous thing. In the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, where drug lords reign as kings, mothers disguise their daughters as sons, and every time black SUVs roll through the town, the girls are forced to hide in the holes of their backyards, sometimes for hours, like animals in the dirt. In Prayers for the Stolen, Jennifer Clement paints a hauntingly vivid picture of Ladydi’s world—one marked by fear, resilience, and complex, unforgettable characters.
Clement’s writing is both lyrical and unflinchingly real, capturing the tension between the beauty of the land and the brutal realities her characters face. The palpable danger is constant, but so is the love and strength that bind the community together. Ladydi’s journey is one of survival, yes, but also a profound reclaiming of power and hope in a place where both seem perpetually out of reach.
Prayers for the Stolen doesn’t shy away from the harrowing violence that women and girls suffer in this world. Yet, it is also a story of resilience—of survival and quiet strength found in even the darkest of circumstances. Clement’s novel is remarkable, not just for the way it tells Ladydi’s story, but for how it compels us to reflect on the forces of injustice that steal lives, the women who must fight to survive, and the ways in which hope can endure even in the most oppressive of environments. Ladydi’s story may not be one of triumph, but it is one of endurance—of finding ways to keep living, to keep hoping, and to keep dreaming in a world that offers little else.
Ladydi Martinez is born into a world where being a girl is a dangerous thing. In the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, where drug lords reign as kings, mothers disguise their daughters as sons, and every time black SUVs roll through the town, the girls are forced to hide in the holes of their backyards, sometimes for hours, like animals in the dirt. In Prayers for the Stolen, Jennifer Clement paints a hauntingly vivid picture of Ladydi’s world—one marked by fear, resilience, and complex, unforgettable characters.
Clement’s writing is both lyrical and unflinchingly real, capturing the tension between the beauty of the land and the brutal realities her characters face. The palpable danger is constant, but so is the love and strength that bind the community together. Ladydi’s journey is one of survival, yes, but also a profound reclaiming of power and hope in a place where both seem perpetually out of reach.
Prayers for the Stolen doesn’t shy away from the harrowing violence that women and girls suffer in this world. Yet, it is also a story of resilience—of survival and quiet strength found in even the darkest of circumstances. Clement’s novel is remarkable, not just for the way it tells Ladydi’s story, but for how it compels us to reflect on the forces of injustice that steal lives, the women who must fight to survive, and the ways in which hope can endure even in the most oppressive of environments. Ladydi’s story may not be one of triumph, but it is one of endurance—of finding ways to keep living, to keep hoping, and to keep dreaming in a world that offers little else.
Popsugar challenge #1 - A book based on a fairy tale
Something witty bookclub
This one is a stretch on popsugar category... but we called it the Mexican Mulan. So I think it works, and I make the rules on my own challenge (although I said if there had been a category for a book you ended up hating, this would be it).
I was really nervous about going to book club after reading this one, because I hated it, and for a pretty personal reason to me, so I knew that talking about it would be tough. And it was, since just about everyone else liked it, but I hope they understood my point of view. Having done mission in central america I have listened to stories very similar to this one from a real person and each story no matter how many you have heard is devastating and passionate. This book felt in-genune to me, it felt numb and it made my heart hurt. By the end of the book I just felt angry that the story wasn't told the way people I have grown to love would have told it in my experience the people of central america are extremely passionate, they overflow with joy and sadness and gratitude and injustice, the emotions just pour out of them, I would have liked to see that in this book. However, I gave it two stars because I get it, we as United States Americans are the target market, and the numbness the story is told from portrays that in this culture this is not abnormal, this is not weird its part of life, and if that resignates with people I should be happy that its a conversation happening, even if its not what I've experienced.
Something witty bookclub
This one is a stretch on popsugar category... but we called it the Mexican Mulan. So I think it works, and I make the rules on my own challenge (although I said if there had been a category for a book you ended up hating, this would be it).
I was really nervous about going to book club after reading this one, because I hated it, and for a pretty personal reason to me, so I knew that talking about it would be tough. And it was, since just about everyone else liked it, but I hope they understood my point of view. Having done mission in central america I have listened to stories very similar to this one from a real person and each story no matter how many you have heard is devastating and passionate. This book felt in-genune to me, it felt numb and it made my heart hurt. By the end of the book I just felt angry that the story wasn't told the way people I have grown to love would have told it in my experience the people of central america are extremely passionate, they overflow with joy and sadness and gratitude and injustice, the emotions just pour out of them, I would have liked to see that in this book. However, I gave it two stars because I get it, we as United States Americans are the target market, and the numbness the story is told from portrays that in this culture this is not abnormal, this is not weird its part of life, and if that resignates with people I should be happy that its a conversation happening, even if its not what I've experienced.
(note: I have an advanced copy so the small bit of criticism I have might no longer be relevant) This book is hauntingly beautiful. It follows the life of Ladydi Garcia Martinez, a girl who spent most of her childhood as a boy because girls were the ones stolen when the drug lord's SUVs decided to swing by their village. She is Mexican and brown with the name of a white British princess (Diana). Her home is both the safest and most dangerous place for her to be. And in her life, happiness usually happens at the exact same time as pain. Ladydi has learned that the world is full of contradictions. She has learned and she has survived.
From the mountain village of Guerrero, Mexico where the drug cartels rule to the upperclass homes of Mexico City lined with dirty money to the women's prison caked with the blood of survival, Jennifer Clement shows us women who have had their seeds cast onto broken pavement and have learned to grow strong plants anyway. There is a fierceness and a power behind the women of Prayers for the Stolen that pushes through my own soft, weak skin and buries deep within my heart. Clement's words are poetic and raw, words that stare at you and force you to stare back. At times, the writing is a bit hard to follow because the story hops around in sequence, especially at the beginning, but no matter how confusing, it's difficult to miss the poignancy and verocity with which Clement writes.
This is a book that I think everyone should read, especially if you are interested in the lives of women outside of America. I also would recommend if you enjoy the works of Eduardo Galeano. I noticed while I was reading that their style of writing (and choice of topic) is very similar.
From the mountain village of Guerrero, Mexico where the drug cartels rule to the upperclass homes of Mexico City lined with dirty money to the women's prison caked with the blood of survival, Jennifer Clement shows us women who have had their seeds cast onto broken pavement and have learned to grow strong plants anyway. There is a fierceness and a power behind the women of Prayers for the Stolen that pushes through my own soft, weak skin and buries deep within my heart. Clement's words are poetic and raw, words that stare at you and force you to stare back. At times, the writing is a bit hard to follow because the story hops around in sequence, especially at the beginning, but no matter how confusing, it's difficult to miss the poignancy and verocity with which Clement writes.
This is a book that I think everyone should read, especially if you are interested in the lives of women outside of America. I also would recommend if you enjoy the works of Eduardo Galeano. I noticed while I was reading that their style of writing (and choice of topic) is very similar.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
fast-paced
Leer este libro es conocer unas de las realidades de México, pero también es conocer las vidas de mujeres que sobreviven bajo con un contexto de narcotráfico. No pude soltar el libro, la historia de Ladydi hace que uno quiera saber más.
3 1/2 stars
I think the power of this story lies not only in its raw unique format but also because it so closely mirrors the reality of what is currently happening in Nigeria, with its own girls being stolen.
This unique story tells of the forgotten, in a place where the police and the drug lords are equally feared.
“The best thing you can be in Mexico is an ugly girl”
Violence, poverty, injustice and neglect grate on these forgotten women and girls until they no longer react to atrocities that surround them. Once again it proves that you can get used to anything if exposed to it long enough.
The writing is minimalistic, never spoon feeding the reader facts but still creating an atmosphere charged with malice and also strangely, hope.
There are some beautiful poetic phrases (even if some of them comes from the bitter tongue of Ladydi’s mother) however towards the end of the book these pearls of wisdom started feeling borderline overdone (I suspect this is just my own cynicism surfacing here).
However even with this little bit of criticism I can highly recommend this story and am looking forward to exploring more work from this author!
I think the power of this story lies not only in its raw unique format but also because it so closely mirrors the reality of what is currently happening in Nigeria, with its own girls being stolen.
This unique story tells of the forgotten, in a place where the police and the drug lords are equally feared.
“The best thing you can be in Mexico is an ugly girl”
Violence, poverty, injustice and neglect grate on these forgotten women and girls until they no longer react to atrocities that surround them. Once again it proves that you can get used to anything if exposed to it long enough.
The writing is minimalistic, never spoon feeding the reader facts but still creating an atmosphere charged with malice and also strangely, hope.
There are some beautiful poetic phrases (even if some of them comes from the bitter tongue of Ladydi’s mother) however towards the end of the book these pearls of wisdom started feeling borderline overdone (I suspect this is just my own cynicism surfacing here).
However even with this little bit of criticism I can highly recommend this story and am looking forward to exploring more work from this author!
Jennifer Clements did an excellent job of telling the story of these women in such a desperate corner of the world. Heartbreaking....and I know it will haunt me.
Ich habe dieses Buch bei vorablesen.de gewonnen und will ehrlich sein: Auf "Gebete für die Vermissten" war ich nicht wirklich scharf, umso mehr bin ich jetzt von dem Buch von Jennifer Clement überzeugt. Die 228 Seiten erzählen aus dem Leben der jungen Mexikanerin Ladydi, die in einem kleinen Dorf in Mexiko lebt, aus dem die Männer geflohen sind und in dem die Frauen in Angst vor den Mitgliedern von Drogenbanden leben. Die Mädchen müssen sich als Jungs verkleiden und sich extra hässlich machen, um nicht für Entführer attraktiv zu sein, die sie verschleppen und verkaufen würden. Mehr möchte ich zum Inhalt überhaupt nicht mehr sagen, denn je weniger man über das Buch weiß, desto mehr wird man von der Geschichte in den Bann gezogen werden.
In "Gebete für die Vermissten" steckt so viel Philosophie, ohne dabei aufdringlich zu sein. Man erfährt so viel über das Leben vieler Frauen in Mexiko und man merkt, wie viel Arbeit und Recherche in das Buch gesteckt würde. Es ist unglaublich authentisch und man glaubt jedes Wort des Romans. Die Figuren sind sehr gut ausgearbeitet und selbst die, die nicht allzu liebenswürdig sind, finden durch die Erzählweise der Ich-Erzählerin und gleichzeitigen Protagonistin, Ladydi, trotzdem schnell einen Platz in unserem Herzen.
Meiner Meinung nach darf der Roman deshalb in keinem Bücherregal fehlen. Selbst den relativ hohen Preis von 19,95€ wird jeder Käufer verkraften, da das Buch sicherlich jedem gefallen wird. Auch vom wenig ansprechenden Cover darf man sich nicht abschrecken lassen, da es sehr gut zum Inhalt passt und beim Lesen nach und nach mehr Sinn ergibt. Für mich ganz klar ein 5-Sterne-Buch und eine absolute Kaufempfehlung!
In "Gebete für die Vermissten" steckt so viel Philosophie, ohne dabei aufdringlich zu sein. Man erfährt so viel über das Leben vieler Frauen in Mexiko und man merkt, wie viel Arbeit und Recherche in das Buch gesteckt würde. Es ist unglaublich authentisch und man glaubt jedes Wort des Romans. Die Figuren sind sehr gut ausgearbeitet und selbst die, die nicht allzu liebenswürdig sind, finden durch die Erzählweise der Ich-Erzählerin und gleichzeitigen Protagonistin, Ladydi, trotzdem schnell einen Platz in unserem Herzen.
Meiner Meinung nach darf der Roman deshalb in keinem Bücherregal fehlen. Selbst den relativ hohen Preis von 19,95€ wird jeder Käufer verkraften, da das Buch sicherlich jedem gefallen wird. Auch vom wenig ansprechenden Cover darf man sich nicht abschrecken lassen, da es sehr gut zum Inhalt passt und beim Lesen nach und nach mehr Sinn ergibt. Für mich ganz klar ein 5-Sterne-Buch und eine absolute Kaufempfehlung!
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No