Letters to My Mother: A Message of Love, A Plea for Freedom [Hardcover]

Ingrid Betancourt (Author), Lorenzo Delloye-Betancourt (Author), Melanie Delloye-Betancourt (Author), Dominique Simonnet (Introduction), Elie Wiesel (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008

On December 1, 2007, during the arrest of several guerillas in Bogotá, the Colombian police confiscated a short video clip of political hostage Ingrid Betancourt. Accompanying the video was a twelve-page letter, dated October 24, 2007, written by Betancourt to her mother and family.

 

Kidnapped on February 23, 2002, Betancourt has become an international symbol in the struggle for liberty and the fight against barbarity. Before being captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), she was a voice of hope for the Colombian people, leading a courageous fight against political corruption, violence, and illegal detentions.

 

Presented in this small, poignant book is Betancourt’s letter to her mother printed in English, French, and Spanish. From the depths of the Colombian jungle, Betancourt’s words are an impassioned declaration of love to those dearest to her.

 

In addition to this letter is a response to Betancourt written by her children, who since they were teenagers have rallied public support for their mother’s release. With a preface by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, Letters to My Mother conveys a powerful message of love for family and country, and a heartrending plea for freedom.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born December 25, 1961, in Bogata, Ingrid Betancourt grew up in Paris where her father served as Colombia’s UNESCO ambassador. In 2002, she published a memoir, Until Death Do We Part: My Struggle to Reclaim Columbia, which was a bestseller in France and Colombia. At the time of Betancourt’s capture, she was an elected senator running for president and leading a crusade against political corruption in Colombia. For almost six years, the FARC has held Betancourt hostage in the Colombian jungle.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Image; 1ST edition (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810971275
• ISBN-13: 978-0810971271
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Colombia

More About the Author

Born December 25, 1961, in Bogotá, Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt was a politician and presidential candidate celebrated for her determination to combat widespread corruption. In 2002 she was taken hostage by the FARC, a brutal terrorist guerrilla organization. For more than six and a half years, the FARC held her hostage in the Colombian jungle. She was rescued on July 2, 2008.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Poor and faked stories., September 10, 2010

By 

Mac10 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters to My Mother: A Message of Love, A Plea for Freedom (Hardcover)

I'm Colombian and unfortunately thought 'd be interesting reading some more about her case but after a couple pages I'd to put it back. Lost my money and my time and even worst it hurt my love for my country. All what you'll find here is a book full of lies of somebody trying to appear as the mayor victim in the world but she won't tell you the true why she got into this problem and the things she has done against our country. All what she cares is about making a lot of money using her case, but she won't do anything at all to help anybody even so that she's living and moving into the high classes in France and around the world. Very Sad; She's just not a nice and reliable person.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A politician, a fighter, a poet, a mother..., August 14, 2008

By 

Talking Bird (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters to My Mother: A Message of Love, A Plea for Freedom (Hardcover)

There are two letters. The first is Ingrid Betancourt's letter to HER mother, written in October 2007, then "captured" during the arrest of a FARC rebel in December, 2007. The second letter is that of Ingrid's children to THEIR mother in response.
I'd read the US government's official translation excerpted, i.e. omitting most of the family details, shortly after it's release early in the year, and saw Ingrid's eloquence. However, when I read the entire letter, as published (in English) in this book, I recognized the soul of a poet. Because the book includes her original Spanish (along with a French translation), I was reminded once again of (1) how passionate a language Spanish is; and (2) the difficulty of translating such beauty and passion into English.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Free at last, May 3, 2010

By 

J.M.O. "aveviajera48" (Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Letters to My Mother: A Message of Love, A Plea for Freedom (Hardcover)

A powerfull and caring book. As a mother and daugther I felt all the pain and struggle while I read it Hermoso !