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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
4.5 stars. Here's a little known fact about me: I studied Latin American politics in college and I'm absolutely fascinated by that region and I'm always excited when I can read something about this region. "Prayers for the Stolen" is set in Guerrero, Mexico, a place with an interesting history and a lot of violence in its current day. Ladydi, named after Princess Diana, grows up in a world where if you are pretty at all, you are probably going to be kidnapped. The women of the town spend an inordinate amount of time making their little girls ugly and therefore (hopefully) less likely to be stolen.
This book blew me away in both the writing and the story. Ladydi felt so real to me. We get to see her innermost thoughts and how she tries to fight her fate. She starts out in a very poor village and rises up only to fall again, yet she is incredibly resilient. I really liked her character. Even though she grows up in a world full of danger, she is fearless. She wants a lot more for herself than her mother can give her. You have to admire her perseverance. I was definitely pulling for her throughout the entire book. Ladydi is definitely a character that I am going to be thinking about for a long time in the future.
The story in this book is so good. I am absolutely fascinated with some of the things that happen in our neighbor to the south, Mexico. I've spent a good deal of time there and I loved seeing Mexico through Ladydi's eyes. This book is hard to read in some sections because of all of the things that happen to some of the characters throughout the book. That being said, I thought that the author did a good job of showing so many different sides to the country. I loved the storytelling in this book!
This book blew me away in both the writing and the story. Ladydi felt so real to me. We get to see her innermost thoughts and how she tries to fight her fate. She starts out in a very poor village and rises up only to fall again, yet she is incredibly resilient. I really liked her character. Even though she grows up in a world full of danger, she is fearless. She wants a lot more for herself than her mother can give her. You have to admire her perseverance. I was definitely pulling for her throughout the entire book. Ladydi is definitely a character that I am going to be thinking about for a long time in the future.
The story in this book is so good. I am absolutely fascinated with some of the things that happen in our neighbor to the south, Mexico. I've spent a good deal of time there and I loved seeing Mexico through Ladydi's eyes. This book is hard to read in some sections because of all of the things that happen to some of the characters throughout the book. That being said, I thought that the author did a good job of showing so many different sides to the country. I loved the storytelling in this book!
A pretty bleak but very engrossing story.
Simple in its form yet rich and full of substance
emotional
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
From BBC Radio 4 - 15 Minute Drama:
Prayers For The Stolen
by Jennifer Clement
dramatised by Jeff Young
Inspired by true stories, this atmospheric drama follows 15 year old Ladydi Martinez in the mountain village of Guerrero, Nr. Acapulco, Mexico, where being a girl is a dangerous thing and mothers disguise them as sons, hiding them in holes in the ground as the drugs cartels scourge the town, looking for girls to steal.
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
More Info:- A timely drama series, as drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has recently escaped a Mexican prison for the second time,. Guzman is considered by US authorities to be "the most powerful drug trafficker in the world." He is also cited as the 14th wealthiest person in the world. This lyrical and atmospheric drama explores the effects of drug trafficking through the perspective of a teenage girl, LadyDi.
Why is LadyDi named so?
MIKE: Ladydi, Ladydi...Why did your mama name you after a dead princess?
LADYDI: Because she hated what that Prince Charles did to Diana. She watched it on TV. She loves any woman whose man has been unfaithful. It's a special sisterhood of pain and hate. Patron Saint of Betrayed Women.
Prayers For The Stolen
by Jennifer Clement
dramatised by Jeff Young
Inspired by true stories, this atmospheric drama follows 15 year old Ladydi Martinez in the mountain village of Guerrero, Nr. Acapulco, Mexico, where being a girl is a dangerous thing and mothers disguise them as sons, hiding them in holes in the ground as the drugs cartels scourge the town, looking for girls to steal.
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
More Info:- A timely drama series, as drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has recently escaped a Mexican prison for the second time,. Guzman is considered by US authorities to be "the most powerful drug trafficker in the world." He is also cited as the 14th wealthiest person in the world. This lyrical and atmospheric drama explores the effects of drug trafficking through the perspective of a teenage girl, LadyDi.
Why is LadyDi named so?
MIKE: Ladydi, Ladydi...Why did your mama name you after a dead princess?
LADYDI: Because she hated what that Prince Charles did to Diana. She watched it on TV. She loves any woman whose man has been unfaithful. It's a special sisterhood of pain and hate. Patron Saint of Betrayed Women.
Thoughts/review on the blog:
http://thetravellingbibliophile.com/2015/04/reading-challenge-2015-prayers-for-the-stolen
It's excellent. And sad. And even at the last page, you just know that it might not end well after the last words are written, but you hope. Because gosh darnit, something has to turn out ok for this kid. And you hope for the other kids that disappeared, and pray for those who were lost beyond hope. I might have to read it again in a few months, once I've let it settle in the back of my mind.
I might even learn to overlook that the author misspelled Matamoros.
I might even learn to overlook that the author misspelled Matamoros.
Read Harder Challenge #7: An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America.