Customer Reviews

Lori : My Daughter, Wrongfully Imprisoned in Peru

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I read this book a few years after hearing about Lori's imprisonment in Peru and subsequent appeals for justice. I found the book seriously lacking in objectivity,and blatantly polemical in its awkward defense of Lori's bizarre behavior and misplaced good intentions. The author glosses over what seem to me to be the basic questions in this case--such as, why was Lori living in a house full of guns, ammunition, and terrorist operatives? Why was the U.S. ambassador to Peru so critical of her case? Why are so many congressmen unwilling to support her appeals? Why are human rights organizations uninterested in her case?

The author seems enthralled by her daughter's personality, intelligence, tenacity, motivation. Her fixation on Lori's "specialness" apparently began prenatal. An example of this daughter worship is an embarrassing comment about an embassy official's pro forma visit with Lori and Mrs. Berenson's jealousy that a near stranger could bask in Lori's charm and wit!

The final pages of the book consists of long and undigested quotes from Lori's judicial appeal. There is no analysis, just Lori's long, unbroken soliloquy.

This is a very strange memoir of a mother obsessed with her daughter's imprisonment in a faraway land for alleged terrorist activities. I don't know whether she committed these acts but the photograph of Lori on the cover of the book makes me wonder: Who is Lori? In any event, she looks like a sadist, not a human rights activist. Rhoda spends the entire book complaining about injustices, with a capital I--and her plane trips to Peru.

I read the book and unlike many of the impassioned reviewers below, was not at all that convinced by Rhoda Berenson's defense of her daughter. For one thing, the book is mostly a broad indictment of the Peruvian criminal justice system (which clearly isn't very just) and the Berenson's (unsuccessful) efforts to bring their daughter home. Although told in chronological format, the book is a highly selective account that avoids hard, controversial questions, or at best, answers them superficially.. The reader learns more about Rhoda than about Lori, who is sketched as a sort of a modern-day humanitarian saint on a mission of peace and goodwill. Others might call her foolhardy.
This book does not challenge that assertion, but it does argue persuasively that Lori has suffered enough and should be released.

Let's try to know all the facts before storming to write an article accusing the Peruvian Government of imprisoning an innocent American girl. Lori Berenson is (beyond a reasonable doubt) guilty of conspiring with a Terrorist Movement that killed thousands of innocent people during the 80's in Peru. She is as guilty as the hundreds of Taliban detainees in Guantamo today. It is true that the Peruvian judicial system failed by not granting L.B. a civil trial and by charging her with the wrong crime (She was tried by a military court for a crime that she could have not committed, treason to the nation, because that crime is reserved for Peruvian citizens). However, in times of war these things happen. (The U.S for example seriously considered military trials for Taliban leaders). Lori Berenson has now been through a civil trial and found guity of terrorism. If it is so difficult for some to understand that an educated American girl could end up in the middle of a terrorist organization, John Walker is another example. These things, though sad and difficult to understand, happen.
Of course her mother is going to defend her, but no one can jump to a conclusion from reading this book. Reading this book and forming an opinion about L.B. innocence, is like reading OJ Simpson's autobiography and forming an opinion of his innocence.

I read the book and unlike many of the impassioned reviewers below, was not at all that convinced by Rhoda Berenson's defense of her daughter. For one thing, the book is mostly a broad indictment of the Peruvian criminal justice system (which clearly isn't very just) and the Berenson's (unsuccessful) efforts to bring their daughter home. Although told in chronological format, the book is a highly selective account that avoids hard, controversial questions, or at best, answers them superficially.. The reader learns more about Rhoda than about Lori, who is sketched as a sort of a modern-day humanitarian saint on a mission of peace and goodwill. Others might call her foolhardy.
This book does not challenge that assertion, but it does argue persuasively that Lori has suffered enough and should be released.

I came to post a review expecting to be the only one who had come to the obvious conclusion that Lori was guilty. Is the Peruvian justice system bad? Of course it it. The same is true with respect to the majority of countries in the world. Has she been mistreated? It seems likely. But after following this case since the beginning and reading everything I saw about it, including all of the information on Lori's website (most included in the book), there is NO doubt in my mind of her guilt. If an upper-class, liberal activist wants to be a martyr that's fine. But to insult our intelligence with this plee for help is unacceptable.

Lori went to Peru to join a terrorist group, planned a plot to assault the congress of Peru. In her new trial, a due process and lead by a civil prosecutor, the Peruvian Supreme Court probed that she participated actively in the design of the frustrated Congress' assault.
Moreover, Lori lived togheter with the top leaders of the terrorist group for more than a year. In fact, MRTA was a terrorist group that claimed the USA as an imperialist and evil power.
Although Lori decided to walk a path that did not recognized democratic values and human rights, supporting an armed and communist revolution in Peru, when she was indicted she decided to claim that her human rights were not respected.
The book is fully biased, aimed to attack the Peruvian Judicial System and, at the same time, to avoid the most important, what is the facts about Lori's plans in Peru. Obviously, a book wrotte by a mother.

Rhoda Berenson's relentless defense of a daughter with revolutionary aspirations seems to confirm all of the unfavorable stereotypes about upper-middle income liberal New Yorkers. From my reading of this book, the Berensons are stuck---flying to Peru; lobbying for Lori's parole; and defending her odd approach to human rights---an approach that landed her in prison.

This book is a must read for every parent of young idealists who want to venture around the globe and save the world. Rhoda Berenson, a professor who had to quit her job because of their "nightmare", describes the frightening experience her family endures because of the irresponsible behavior of their daughter Lori.

A young, middle class Manhattanite, Lori Berenson left her studies at MIT to pursue "human rights" activities around the world after similar activities in the US did not satisfy her revolutionary spirit. Bankrolled by her "trust fund", Lori's first stop was El Salvador where she was the personal assistant to the guerrilla leader of the left-wing revolutionary group Marti National Liberation Front. Lori left when the group decided to become a legitimate political party and participate in the elections.

Her vagabond terrorism led her to Peru where she joined the Marxist group Tupac Amaru, infamous for their attack on the Japanese embassy in Lima. Lori rented "La Molina", the 3-floor house where the group stayed and kept their ammunition for 9 months until her arrest. Using her American citizenship as a cover, she went inside the building of the Peruvian Congress to obtain information on the layout for a future attack.

Lori was arrested in a bus while travelling with the wife of Nestor Cerpa, the leader of Tupac Amaru. Her arrest, along with the discovery of handwritten maps of the Peruvian Congress building forced the Tupac Amaru to change plans and hit the Japanese embassy instead. (Unfortunately, the police discovered only 2 numbers in her beeper and could not prevent the terrorist attack - It is very curious why Lori would carry a BEEPER with her in Lima, in the early '90s.) One of the first demands that Tupac Amaru had in order to free the hostages on the Japanese embassy was the release of Lori Berenson along with about 20 other imprisoned terrorists.

The American government has not intervened on Lori's behalf because as it has been widely reported in the news, they have undisputable information that Lori Berenson was indeed participating in terrorist activities in Latin America. (Tupac Amaru along with the Shining Path have been designated "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" by the U.S. Secretary of State in October 1997. Their terrorist activities caused the death of 30,000 Peruvians, left hundred of thousands orphaned or homeless and destroyed public and private property estimated at US$ 25 billion. They were responsible for continual assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, extortion, robberies and attacks.) Furthermore, when Lori is released could face charges in the US that she violated the Logan Act that prohibits US citizens from interfering with foreign government activities in their countries, without permission from the US government. Credible media - Wall Street Journal, Village Voice, CBS etc- looked into Lori's case and found strong evidence that proved her guilt.

The world is full of terrorists who want to violently impose their ideas upon innocent people without having the courage to follow legal paths. The same way we deplore Osama bin Laden and his bombing of the World Trade Center and the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Peruvians are grateful that Lori Berenson is in prison and not free to continue her terror upon innocent people.

Every parent should read this book and educate their children who want to "explore" the revolution abroad. Each country has its own laws that may differ widely from the USA. i.e. Mexico where you are presumed guilty upon arrest since its laws are based on the Napoleonic Code. The prison conditions where Lori is held are primitive compared to the luxury offered in US prisons but are similar to most other countries. Trial procedures vary considerably. In Peru, judges who preside on terrorist trials have to be hooded to escape assasinations by terrorist groups like those against judges in Italy and Germany.

Children should be taught personal responsibility, civics and moral values. They should be proud of their American citizenship and should not exploit it for illegal activities. Nor, they should expect that being an American means being arrogant and expect that other countries will bow to them or that they mom can save them when they get into trouble.

I read Lori: My Daughter Unlawfully Imprisoned in Peru only after following the case for several years. It is an odd book to be published by an academic press - a polemic and not an academic or impartial study of the case. Though one could hardly expect anything else from a distraught mother. You should read the book along with the [...] website. See Lori's comments on her website: boiler plate leftist slogans and jargon. Read the book and the website but read between the lines, read in context, and it seems clear that Lori Berenson is guilty. The book and the website dance around the issues - articulate for sure but clearly biased, if not outright dishonest. But guilty of what?
She has been very careful in her choice of words - stating that she is not guilty of the charges against her and stating that she is not a "terrorist." She has, however, openly defended MRTA (a Peruvian rebel group) and its right to "revolutionary" action. If you are killed by a "terrorist" or "revolutionary," does really it make a difference? Lori Berenson argues that terrorist violence is wrong but not revolutionary violence. (Her father, a retired professor, has argued that same academic point in her defense.) It is understandable that Peruvians fail to appreciate this finely drawn distinction. Further, if you read the book and her website, you are struck with the condescending attitude toward the people of Peru - the poor, benighted people of color to be saved by an idealistic internationalist.
She may not have actively participated in any violent actions, but it seems very clear that she supported them and defended them, and may have been in on the plan to attack the Peruvian assembly.
Perhaps this is what Berenson is really saying: "I am not 'guilty' because it is not a 'crime' to support MRTA. Therefore, I am innocent." Her strong leftist ideology tells her that since the Peruvian system is corrupt it is not a "crime" to conspire or collaborate with revolutionaries against it or to try to destroy what is in their view an unjust system. In truth, Berenson is a political pilgrim - a revolutionary groupie. Certainly not a "journalist" (no publications or education in the field).
Were her trials fair? Perhaps not (at least not by US standards), but if it is true that she did not have a fair hearing it does not mean that she is innocent. An impartial international court in Latin America, in fact, has upheld the judgment. One can certainly feel sympathy for her parents but only a mother totally and uncritically devoted her child could have written this book. It is a brief for her daughter and not in any way an objective or complete telling of the story.
One is tempted to call Berenson a spoiled brat, but she is about forty years old now and no child. Here is a way out: denounce MRTA (didn't they fool you into associating with them as you claim?)and apologize for intervening in the affairs of the Peruvian people.
Berenson was playing at revolution (a revolutionary dilettante) and now is paying a heavy price. A rebel princess come to grief.