The Girl from Chimel [Hardcover]

Rigoberta Menchu (Author), Domi (Illustrator), David Unger (Translator), Dante Liano (Contributor)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Nobel Peace Prize winner and Mayan activist Rigoberta Menchú brings the world of her earliest childhood vividly to life in this colorful book. Before the war in Guatemala and despite the hardships that the Mayan people endured, life in the Mayan villages of the highlands had a beauty and integrity. This was forever changed by the conflict and brutal genocide that was to come. Menchú’s stories of her grandparents and parents, of the natural world that surrounded her, and her retelling of the stories that she was told present a rich, humorous, and engaging portrait of that lost world. Domi draws on the Mayan landscape and rich craftwork to create the stunning illustrations that complement this engaging story.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up–A human-rights activist and native Guatemalan tells stories about her grandparents, parents, and herself. She makes clear the cultural importance of the land and its animals, and describes indigenous life in detail. The book focuses on the time before the 36-year war in her native land. Although the reminiscences have value and some beautiful language, the writing is disorganized and the book does not read smoothly. Part of this may be attributed to translation, but in reality, the scattered bits and pieces of ideas do not come together anywhere, least of all at the end. Domis beautiful illustrations of people and animals do more to make connections than the text.–Kate McGowen, Topsham Public Library, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. Maya activist and 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner Menchu, with assistance from Guatemalan National Literature laureate Liano, offers a memoir of her girlhood in the Indian village of Chimel, in Guatemala. Each short chapter tells a story that adds to the broadening picture of history of the village and the everyday life and beliefs of its people. An early story tells of the writer's grandfather literally sweeping his intended bride off her feet and carrying her away to start a new village. Another anecdote provides vivid sensory details of an afternoon spent picking and eating forbidden blackberries, while still another gives a straightforward description of and the meaning behind the traditional practice of burning a baby's umbilical cord and the mother's placenta.^B Created with strong, primitive forms and vibrant colors, full-page oil paintings brighten half the double-page spreads and provide memorable scenes of Chimel through three generations. Providing a rare firsthand account of Guatemalan village life, this translated book is a good choice for students curious about the Maya as well as those seeking to complete the perennial memoir assignment. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books (August 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888996667
• ISBN-13: 978-0888996664
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Children's Books > History > Central & South America

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Realistic autobiography, June 21, 2010

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PJ (NW Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Girl from Chimel (Hardcover)

This is an intersting picture of a young girl growing up in Guatemala before war tore her life apart. Those who are studying Central America could get an accurate picture of what the area is like for the common man who lives a quiet, family life, helps others, and enjoys the area.