This book came into my life randomly and second hand with no recommendation. When I started reading it I assumed it was meant for middle school readers (and that may be true) but there was a bit of somewhat graphic details of tragic events. The fact that this story is based on truth makes it all the more compelling. But, even if it was pure fiction I would love it. The story is heartbreaking and eye opening but ends on a hopeful note. My only complaint is where the story ends. The author's dedication implies the girl who originally told this story did live to tell this story but the book itself doesn't take us to current day. I want to know more about Gabriela. Parts of the story and style remind me of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl although that may be simply a matter of content. Either way, I found this book easy to dive into and compelling enough to complete and thirst for more so I would recommend it to anyone looking for a short read that doesn't mind some tear jerking (and sometimes infuriating) content.
"Humiliation was not a poison that cowards needed to taste twice."
"Cowards can be very dangerous when they have guns."
"Knowing Spanish, and knowing this or that, doesn't prepare you for the future. Your future is found in discovering the right questions to ask and having the courage to ask them. Good questions are always more important than good answers, but it takes courage to ask. You may understand how you live, but do you understand why you live?"
"Right is whatever wind you choose beneath your wings. No longer do all our customs and names come from our Mayan ancestors. Now they come from many winds. It's up to you to decide which wind should carry you. You need to decide for yourself if it was wrong for the church to change our names."
"I don't think you can respect someone but still want to change their religion, their customs, and even their names."
"It's okay to be fearful and restless. Fear and restlessness bring change."
"A whipped dog has a long memory."
"Promises borrow from the future."
"It seemed impossible to me, as I stared at the baby, to think that soldiers had begun their lives so small, vulnerable, and innocent."
"For you, being a female is a war that you'll fight all of your life. For both of us, being Indio is a war we fought even before the soldiers came."
"Children grow up with nothing if they don't learn pride and dignity."
"A good teacher didn't criticize an idea simply because it came from a young woman instead of him. A good teacher embraced new ideas."
"I know now why you survived the massacres. You were too stubborn to die."
