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I Read My Way through Latin America
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items Somehow I got all the way through school without knowing a thing about our neighbors to the south. So I spent year reading about the history, the current state of affairs, the ecosystem, the geography and the rest, from as many angles as I could find. I scoured lists for the highest rated books as well as some of the most obscure. I have now read some twenty five books about the region and I share some here.
Sections
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South America
Ancient Times
Mexico, The Caribbean and Central America
South America
A continent of unimaginable delights and horrors.
Humboldt (1769-1859) wanted to go abroad and explore, but due to political situations at the time, he had a lot of trouble getting permission from the powers that be. And then he managed to get the blessing of the King of Spain and was able to travel...
Alexander von Humboldt's New World
When I started my year long reading tour through Latin America, I never expected to fall in love with a prisoner who fed himself in jail by giving tours of the prison--to the general public! Bolivia's notorious San Pedro prison is a place of untold mystery to those of us who expect prisoners to be given food and some kind of a bed to sleep in. And to think that non-incarcerated family...
Marching Powder: A True Story of Cocaine
The desciption of the terrain in South America is breathtaking here. I listen to the audible version over and over because I love the narration and find it soothing. Stefan Rudnicki's baritone voice is deep and delicious.
The Cloud Forest: Chronicle of South America
I continue to be moved by the strength of the young men who endured for months after the plane crash which left them stranded high in the Andes. They finally found a way back to civilization and all we cherish. One of the most inspiring books I have ...
Alive
If you like Allende, you might like this book. Sadly, I did not.
A Long Petal of the Sea
Fascinating look at life from the perspective of the missionary, and from the perspective of the outlaw.
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
I was going to read nothing but books about Latin America in 2023…..and I decided to start out LIGHT with this adventure. So this was my first. A fairly interesting look at camping in the wilds, vicuna, llamas, and weird immigration stations. Also, t...
Llama Drama: Bicycling through South America
I was so taken by the true story of the young men stranded on a snowy mountain in the Andes that I had to read an entire additional book about it. After the Uruguayan rugby team crashed, Nando Parrado refused to simply die on the barrens of the high ...
Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the author's own recollections of life with the Piraha tribe. I devoted 2023 to reading about South America and searched for books about Brazil. When saw the title (involving snakes) I had to go with this one. A wond...
Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Amazon Life
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A contemplative look into what must be a most amazing landscape. Who knew that Butch Cassidy ended up here? I was fascinated to learn how the gangster managed to outrun the law so completely. You will have to read Chatwin's excellent read to find out.
In Patagonia
This book I would not foist upon my worst enemy. A slog about a creep.
Love in the Time of Cholera
Had I not read about Chile and Argentina and Humboldt in my year of reading about Latin America, I would not have found this book half so engaging. Another true story much along the same lines is Skeletons on the Zahara. But that one is about Africa....
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
Ancient Times
The Maya, the Incas, and Escapees of the Extremadura
The Amazon River basin. It's too big even to imagine. “Indeed, the Amazon River is so immense that superlatives fall short of doing it justice. More than 4,500 miles long, the Amazon discharges one-fifth of all the fresh water that flows into the ear... Francisco Orellana sailed from Peru to the Atlantic Ocean, meeting and communicating with natives along the way and partaking of the fascinating food of many once his own stock of victuals on the ship ran out. I can't remember how many hogs they brought along so they would have something to eat while searching for El Dorado in 1541.
The Deadly First Voyage through the Amazon
The Mayans! What a fascinating culture is revealed in 48 lessons with a noted archaeologist, explorer, and teacher as your guide. I went deep into the heart of Mesoamerican history and culture just by listening. I highly recommend this and many other of the Great Courses. You can often get them at the library and ...
Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed
Today I asked my little one where he lives and he said Ollantaytambo. That was interesting, because he does not. Yet it gives you some idea of just how enchanting the thoughts of some of these ancient towns in the Andes are. This book details Hiram B...
Turn Right at Machu Picchu
The Incas did not submit willingly and led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, nearly wiping them out. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the Incan emperor to flee to the Amazon. A hidden capital, Vilcabamba, a deadly, 36-year-long guerrilla war. In this brutal history we see how the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance.
The Last Days of the Incas
Mexico, The Caribbean and Central America
From Tropical Wonders to People in Tough Circumstances
Before reading this extremely enjoyable read, I knew next to nothing about Trinidad and even less about Tobago. Now I know a little about recent history there, as well as something about the cuisine. The Audible version is absolutely fantastic, one o...
The White Woman on the Green Bicycle: A Novel
Oh, to chuck it all and go roaming the world and become a princess. Sounds like fiction, but it's not. The author found herself divorced and decided why not travel and pursue her love of anthropology, studying little known worlds of Latin America, Me...
Tales of a Female Nomad: Living Large
The world can turn dark in a heartbeat. Genocidal violence and a failure to brook dissent are in full force in this non-fiction book. Deep. Dark. Here's what happens when a mealy minded man who can't take dissent is in charge of a nation. Guatemala's... state forces killed more than two hundred thousand people. Argentina's military dictatorship disappeared up to thirty thousand people, tossing them from planes, smack into the Atlantic Ocean. Families of the missing searched for the truth and scienti...
Still Life with Bones: Genocide and Forensics
A dry read…..but so important. It's hard to get through this one because it's so very much packed with detail. So I will quote here. Drawing on unprecedented archival research; leaked DEA, Mexican law enforcement, and cartel documents; and dozens of ...
The Dope: History of the Mexican Drug Trade
A romantic tale et on the lush Jamaican coast; the warmth of the sands, the spice in the foods, and the passion of a Caribbean love affair. A story for listeners who long for an escape to a faraway place. Sweet!
The Mountain and the Sea
Bob Marley figures in this book, but not in the way you might think. This is a dark look at life in Jamaica. I recommend you listen on Audible as many of my friends were not able to power through the dialects as appearing on the page. With a listen, ...
A Brief History of Seven Killings
Young Adult fiction offering about a young girl who is uprooted from her life in California to go back to Mexico.
Becoming Naomi Leon