Silenced Voices
Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide: A Graphic Novel
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A Pura Belpré Award Honor, Young Adult
A Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor
In this moving intergenerational tale perfect for fans of Messy Roots and Illegal, Eisner-nominated creator Pablo Leon combines historical research of the Guatemalan Civil War with his own experiences as a Guatemalan immigrant to depict a powerful story of family, sacrifice, survival, and hope.
Langley Park, Maryland, 2013
Brothers Jose and Charlie know very little about their mother’s life in Guatemala, until Jose grows curious about the ongoing genocide trial of Efrain Rios Montt. At first his mother, Clara, shuts his questions down. But as the trial progresses, she begins to open up to her sons about a time in her life that she’s left buried for years.
Peten, Guatemala, 1982
Sisters Clara and Elena hear about the armed conflict every day, but the violence somehow seems far away from their small village. But the day the fight comes to their doorstep, the sisters are separated and are forced to flee through the mountains, leaving them to wonder…Have their paths diverged forever?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a solo debut, Leon (Miles Morales: Stranger Tides) delivers a potent graphic novel examination of the effects of the Guatemalan civil war on its people. In 2013, American-born brothers José and Charlie live with their overworked single immigrant mother, Clara, in Langley Park, Md. When a teacher asks José if his mother was following coverage of the criminal trials relating to the Guatemalan genocide, José realizes that he knows nothing about his mom's past. Though initial attempts to broach the subject end with emotional outbursts from Clara, she soon shares stories about her youth in a Q'eqchi' Mayan village. After Clara reveals that she hasn't seen her sister, Elena, since they were separated during a violent conflict as children, José and Charlie resolve to discover what happened to their aunt. Alternating chapters follow José and Charlie in the present as they grapple with questions about their identity, and Clara and Elena in the 1980s as they navigate traumatic instances of war. Information about the events addressed is peppered throughout a stirring story about the power of familial bonds and historical recollection in the face of grief, fear, and hopelessness. Saturated color and textured overlays add depth and ambiance to this meaningful offering. Ages 14–up.
