There were more spelling, punctuation and mechanical errors in this book than I have EVER seen in any other book. I even contacted the publisher re this.

As a teacher I felt I could not recommend this editing-flawed book as it is the antithesis of the kind of careful editing I espouse.

One very humorous aside is that part of the dedication is to her editor for careful attention to detail, or something close to that.

The story is interesting, but not compelling. One section, about a home invasion, is never really explained at all. It simply happens. Why does it occur? Simply to advance the story?

Limon's book entitled Ana Calderone is better written and far better edited.

in this award-winning novel, graciela limon digs beyond borders and boundaries - and delves deep into the human psyche in an attempt to unearth and unravel the twisted roots that lie tangled beneath a decaying tree of life - in a bold exploration of human behavior.

with memorable, immortal, superbly-crafted, 3-dimensional characters that struggle to survive in an historically accurate setting depictive of civil-war-torn 1980s central america -- and with paragraph after paragraph peppered with tales of graphic abuse and abandonment endured by generation after generation -- the author poses possible and plausible explanations for the cold-hearted, calculating "peddling of death" that takes place, ironically, in the "city of the savior."

numerous biblical/religious references, as well as psychological speculations serve as catalysts for critical thought spurred as the readers witness the horrors of death and destruction through the eyes of a grieving mother/land who mourns the loss of beloved son/s barely out of their cradles. and, as luz delcano goes off "in search of (her son) bernabe," who disappears during a moment of militaristic madness, murder and mayhem -- we join her on a journey, in search of comprehension for such incomprehensible behavior.

the manner in which limon introduces international intervention is commendable -- she deals with the delicate subject of the u.s.'s (in)direct involvement deftly and directly in an enlightening way via her creation of a priest tormented by the preachings of a guilty conscience (in the voice of a dead friend and arms-negotiating accomplice)that lead/s and follow/s him to his grave.

the expert use of irony adds to the richness of the text, as foils are juggled and juxtaposed -- such as in the delcano brothers' case -- one, an army colonel, a devil in an "angel's" dis/guise, who orders the execution of his own brother -- a seminarian-reluctantly-turned-guerrilla, who is "hounded by the thought that (his) victims were his brothers," and by the awareness that "he...had become...as monstrous as the enemy."

when all is said and done, limon does a fantastic job of describing the utter futility and senselessness of such tragedy -- as she describes the executioner's dismay as he finds himself unable to savor the flavor of his vengeance -- perhaps proving the point that revenge is much more bitter than sweet; as would be the fruit on a tree that has its roots (mal)nourished by the blood-spilling of (in)human nature.

limon, with her remarkable ability to fabulously blend fiction not far removed from fact, has given us a compelling, realistic look at the dark side of human (un)kind; a wonderful, brutal view of a world gone wrong -- and one very much in need of a savior!

A very real life book on a women's search for her lost son during a time of tough times in El Salvador. A very good example of just one family's tough times during the war in El Salvador. This book is full of many relevent issues; US intervention in South America, migration to the United States, social classes in South America, and most important the struggle of the people to get there country back

Based on more than 12.000 declassified U.S. documents, documents of the FMLN insurgents, and interviews with leading participants in the Salvadoran civil war (1980-1992), Hugh Byrne provides the reader with solid and very interesting information about the conflict that cost between 75.000 and 100.000 lives. Citing CIA cables, he displays the role of the United States in prolonging the war, but also shows how the US changed its policy in favor of a negotiated settlement when Bush replaced Reagan as president. It is also one of very few books that doesn't treat the FMLN as a unitary actor, but distinguishes between the 5 guerrilla groups and their respective origins and strategies. Having read some dozen books on the Salvadoran conflict, this book is highly recommended. The reader interested in detailed information on the role of the UN as mediator/peacemaker, however, should read other books, such as "Negotiating Peace in El Salvador" by Tricia Juhn, "Keeping the Peace" edited by Doyle/Johnstone/Orr or read the first hand account of Mr. Alvaro de Soto himself, chief UN negotiator and personal representative of the UN's Secretary General, in "Herding Cats" (1999).

A comprehensive examination of the factors leading up to the civil war, the war itself, and the negotiated peace. Byrne provides an unbiased view that concentrates on both the political and military strategies adopted by the Salvadoran government and by the FMLN. Additionally, the extent to which other actors influence the course of the war, such as the Catholic Church and the U.S. government is examined. Overall an excellent account.

It's hard to find good books on El Salvador that aren't about the war, and believe me, I've looked! My husband is Salvadoran and I'm a Spanish teacher trying to show there's more to Central America than just Costa Rica. The two good children's books our library carries were written back when the war was still going on, and I've been looking for a newer book to recommend as a library acquisition. Now I have at least one entry for my list, and the paperback version is a bargain for any home library as well.

The book has only 32 pages, so while it touches on many subjects, each only gets a two-page spread. Within these limitations, though, the book presents useful information in a narrative form and with minimal bias. The "struggle and civil war" section does a remarkably good job of giving background behind conflicts such as La Guerra de Fútbol ("the Soccer War"). The section on "Native Peoples" gives a good treatment of the assimilation of these groups, with a look at the Pipíl and Lenca peoples in the present day. The book's discussion of the post-peace agreement period is very general, and despite the 2002 copyright, no mention is made of the devastating earthquakes of January and February, 2001; I can only assume the book had already gone to press.

Halfway through the book, the book changes from a general overview into a more vignette-style presentation of selected topics under the usual headings ("Music and Dance," etc.). The section on family traditions, for example, gives one or two paragraphs each to baptisms, birthdays, quinceañeras, folk beliefs and "curanderas" (folk healers). In these sections, the presentation is a bit haphazard, but still provides worthwhile material. The arts and crafts section includes the role of cooperatives and political art; another topic, "The Flavors of El Salvador," brings food into a detailed and interesting depiction of daily life. The only part of the book I didn't care for is the ending, a fictional episode of a family visit; it tries a little too hard to tie in every kind of cultural topics via stilted and unnatural dialogue. The youngest readers probably won't mind, but upper elementary and middle schoolers would roll their eyes.

The "Life in the Countryside" section is a treasure. The pictures show everyday life much as I saw it when I went to visit my in-laws in early 2002. Nearly every sentence has some detail that made me shout with recognition, such as the mention of using car batteries to power TVs and radios. Oddly, the book doesn't mention the solar collectors powering the batteries, an interesting topic for kids. Also, the book mentioned the scarcity of vehicles, indoor plumbing, and electricity, yet said nothing about phones. A country with so many expatriates is a country that cares a LOT about phones, and life has been profoundly affected by a boom in cell-phones in "el campo," where a phone call used to require an hourlong walk to town.

While this series only covers 22 countries so far, the publishers have wisely avoided the tactic of presenting all the "usual suspects" before getting to the lesser known countries. It's refreshing to see countries like Nigeria and the Philippines among these titles -- you expect that with long-running series that cover every single country, but for a series that only covers a fraction of the world's peoples, it's nice to see someone went beyond the obvious.

(Note: Somehow this review was previously mis-assigned to the companion volume, El Salvador: The Land.)

It's hard to find good books on El Salvador that aren't about the war, and believe me, I've looked! My husband is Salvadoran and I'm a Spanish teacher trying to show there's more to Central America than just Costa Rica. The two good children's books our library carries were written back when the war was still going on, and I've been looking for a newer book to recommend as a library acquisition. Now I have at least one entry for my list, and the paperback version is a bargain for any home library as well.

The book has only 32 pages, so while it touches on many subjects, each only gets a two-page spread. Within these limitations, though, the book presents useful information in a narrative form and with minimal bias. The "struggle and civil war" section does a remarkably good job of giving background behind conflicts such as La Guerra de Fútbol ("the Soccer War"). The section on "Native Peoples" gives a good treatment of the assimilation of these groups, with a look at the Pipíl and Lenca peoples in the present day. The book's discussion of the post-peace agreement period is very general, and despite the 2002 copyright, no mention is made of the devastating earthquakes of January and February, 2001; I can only assume the book had already gone to press.

Halfway through the book, the book changes from a general overview into a more vignette-style presentation of selected topics under the usual headings ("Music and Dance," etc.). The section on family traditions, for example, gives one or two paragraphs each to baptisms, birthdays, quinceañeras, folk beliefs and "curanderas" (folk healers). In these sections, the presentation is a bit haphazard, but still provides worthwhile material. The arts and crafts section includes the role of cooperatives and political art; another topic, "The Flavors of El Salvador," brings food into a detailed and interesting depiction of daily life. The only part of the book I didn't care for is the ending, a fictional episode of a family visit; it tries a little too hard to tie in every kind of cultural topics via stilted and unnatural dialogue. The youngest readers probably won't mind, but upper elementary and middle schoolers would roll their eyes.

The "Life in the Countryside" section is a treasure. The pictures show everyday life much as I saw it when I went to visit my in-laws in early 2002. Nearly every sentence has some detail that made me shout with recognition, such as the mention of using car batteries to power TVs and radios. Oddly, the book doesn't mention the solar collectors powering the batteries, an interesting topic for kids. Also, the book mentioned the scarcity of vehicles, indoor plumbing, and electricity, yet said nothing about phones. A country with so many expatriates is a country that cares a LOT about phones, and life has been profoundly affected by a boom in cell-phones in "el campo," where a phone call used to require an hourlong walk to town.

While this series only covers 22 countries so far, the publishers have wisely avoided the tactic of presenting all the "usual suspects" before getting to the lesser known countries. It's refreshing to see countries like Nigeria and the Philippines among these titles -- you expect that with long-running series that cover every single country, but for a series that only covers a fraction of the world's peoples, it's nice to see someone went beyond the obvious.

I found it to be an easy read and very informative. Her methodology goes to the people and the findings are interesting. I recommend it.

The author's effort shines through in this work as someone genuinely concerned for the welfare of people. I say people as a general term because Anderson puts this horrific event into a context that shows how relevant it was and still is for humankind as a whole. The people of El Salvador suffered greatly in the 80's and 90's, but there was a precursory event 50 years before that was even in scope.

THE BEST book to find a name for your son!

This book gives a good picture of El Salvador during the civil war. It tells the story of Jean Donovan who at some point of her life decided to throw away her career and to help the people who were suffering in El Salvador. She describes her struggle trying to help the poor to survive while being attacked (verbally and physically) by land owners, officials, military, death squads, and American intelligence. While her being an American citizen usually kept her out of the worst trouble, the locals were usually not so lucky and often killed rather arbitrarily. What makes the book so interesting is that it is not written from a global political viewpoint, but from the very personal viewpoint of Joan Donovan.

Please "get into this book!" The rights of journalists, ordinary
people in a struggle not of their making fill this small sample
of what happened to them compels your attention. It often reads like a play script, then socks you into its purpose as a political novel. I took a few brief "rests" to contemplate the force of Bencastro's ardent script! It is a sensitive version of Latin American guerrilla warfare and the "inhumanitarian" rules of their martial law inflicted upon the citizens of El Salvador.

This book displays works of 4 martyred Jesuit priests in El Salvador. The book is written from a perspective of Liberation Theology/Psychology. Not only is it a good summary of each of those arts, it also is an incisive look at society, pertinent not only to a war-torn El Salvador and Central America of many years ago, but also to the world and society now -- perhaps even more so. At times the book is heavy reading -- but well worth the effort. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the world they live in! The fact that the authors were all martyred by assassins' bullets makes the work even more inspiring.