Customer Reviews

Evita: In My Own Words

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Of all the books I've read on Eva, this has to be my favorite. I was glad to see a more personal side of Eva, to read her own thoughts. It was intriguing to read more about Eva's personal life and feelings (i.e. towards her husband) rather than the deeds she did, which I feel most people are already aware of. No matter how well the authors of other books "knew" Eva, there will always be a certain something lacking. No one will ever know Evita as well as she knew herself. Therefore, I recommend this book to anyone searching for a more personal side of Eva Peron: Spiritual Leader of the Nation (Argentina).

I first learned of Eva Peron through a recording of "Evita," the musical play based on her life. Peron, who served as First Lady of Argentina before her untimely death in 1952, was one of the most intriguing women of the 20th century. "In My Own Words: Evita" contains an English translation of a document (entitled "My Message") that claims to be Evita's deathbed testament.

In addition to this document (which has been translated from Spanish by Laura Dail), the book also contains several other components: a 46-page introduction by Joseph A. Page; an account of an interview with Juan Jiminez Dominguez, who was an aide to Evita in her final days (the account is written by Alberto Schprejer); a collection of black-and-white photographs from Evita's life and career; a few facsimile pages from the contested manuscript; and a chronology of Evita's life.

As Page notes, the authenticity of the document has been contested. Was it really dictated by Evita? How much of it is reliable? We may never know. But if it is authentic, it affords a fascinating window into the mind of this extraordinary woman. The document is largely a single-minded defense of Peronism, the political philosophy of Evita's husband, Argentine President Juan Peron. The document speaks of "the absolute truth of Peronism" with a sort of religious fervor. Also interesting is the document's support for a revolutionary, socially-conscious Christianity; if the document is authentic, then Evita could be seen as a forerunner of Latin American liberation theology.

The document's weakness is the fact that it seems to be more a political treatise than a true personal testament. But the document, Page's introduction, and the other materials in this book are still very interesting. Eva Peron is a true international cultural icon, and those who have been captured by her spell should explore this controversial, intriguing book.

Yes, THAT Evita. Eva Peron. From Argentina. Yes, it IS for you. Yes, she HAS been dead for fifty years. But in 1952 she wrote a book, "Mi Mensaje (My Message)." She knew her days were numbered, so she used those days for writing, and she left a message for the living. That's you.
It's a view from inside the head of a charismatic leader, the most powerful woman on earth. It's highly personal, highly political, and highly emotional. For reasons you can guess, in this, her last book, she saw no need to be politically correct--and it isn't. Without mentioning any names, she says exactly what she thinks about people, power, the Church, and the military. And precisely because she doesn't mention names, these views of hers are still relevant today.
This Message also requests a response: it is a call to action--yours.
"My Message" has been a long time coming. Too dangerous for the political climate of 1952, it has only recently seen the light of day--and even more recently translated into English, under the title "In My Own Words." It's a message for you from the real Evita.

I really enjoyed Eva Peron's message in "In My Own Words." I'm currently doing a research paper on Evita for my English class, and this has, by far, been the book that has given me great insight on her short life. Reading biography after biography, you only come away with what others have said about her and this is truly her own words, thoughts and feelings. I was especially surprised by the amount of... I guess respect and honor she had for her husband. Not many people nowadays can say that about their spouse. Juan Peron was lucky to have such an asset in his wife. Eva Peron was a living legend in her day. I'm so fascinated by her life and times. This book is absoultely wonderful and telling. I couldn't put it down. I loved it. Sarah Brownlow

Eva Peron was a remarkable woman and had so many tallents and now we have just learned another one of those talents, wrighting. I think this book was remarkable and it sounds very personal. It makes me believe more that she cared for the poor people of her country. She may have made people believe that she was just a slut and married Juan Peron for the fame and welth but i don't believe that i believe Eva Peron was a saint "SANTA EVITA"

I judge the book "In My Own Words" very interesting andI like it very much. As I am from the Netherlands, I read it in Dutch. In this book (In mijn eigen woorden: Evita) was said that Evita probably did not write this book, but someone else. I wonder if this is true. Yet, the book gives me an idea about Evita's thoughts and her admiration for her husband. Yours sincerely, Freya Nijinski

In my own words, is partly a biography and partly an autobiography shedding light onto the mysteries surrounding the Argentine saint Evita. It contains her death bed manuscript that she wrote in her last few months in her fight against cancer. This book details the portrait of a woman very much loved, even worshipped-Santa Evita. This book is a must for everyone wanting to know about the real Evita Peron and how she was supressed by the cowardly forces of Argentina but none the less, her rainbow always shined through until the 26th of July 1952 when she took her last breath at just 33.

I have read much about Evita and also visited Argentina in search of the real person. She still is an enigma to me, part Mother Teresa,selfisness, part not with the program. She had an somewhat misguided attachment to Juan Peron that could have been honest admiration or self serving mechanism for her desire for immortality and rising above her humble beginnings. The writings in this book do not sound like they are from a completely mentally healthy iondividual and ramble to the point of distraction. I have no concrete idea of what she was trying to say and I think her lack of education had much to do with her not being able to articulate her thoughts into cohesive prose. When I read of all she did for the poor people, it is hard to really find where all the money came from. How much coercion was needed to fund all of her projects? I guess I will continue to wonder and read about her, especially material written by those really close to her.

This book is a wonderful insight into the last hours of The Spiritual Leader of Argentina, and her views on her husband's politics. Eva Peron, who died at the age of 33 of Uterine Cancer purpotedly brought on by her overworking with the Foundation Eva Peron. This book is a must read for all who wish to learn how the mind of Eva Peron worked.

Of all the books I've read on Eva, this has to be my favorite. I was glad to see a more personal side of her, to read her own thoughts. Eager to read more about Evita's personal life and feelings (i.e. towards her husband), I couldn't put the book down. No matter how well the authors of other books "knew" her, there will always be a certain something lacking. No one will ever know Evita as well as she knew herself. Therefore, I recommend this book to anyone searching for a more personal side of Eva Peron: Spiritual Leader of the Nation (Argentina).