Nothing, Nobody: The Voices Of the Mexico City Earthquake [Paperback]

Elena Poniatowska (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 1995

In September 19, 1985, a powerful earthquake hit Mexico City in the early morning hours. As the city collapses, the government fails to respond. Long a voice of social conscience, prominent Mexican journalist, Elena Poniatowska chronicles the disintegration of the city's physical and social structure, the widespread grassroots organizing against government corruption and incompetence, and the reliency of the human spirit. As a transformative moment in the life of Mexican society, the earthquake is as much a component of the country's current crisis as the 1982 debt crisis, the problematic economic of the last ten years, and the recent elections. In masterfully weaving together a multiplicity of voices, Poniatowska has reasserted the inherent value and latent power of people working together. Punctuated by Poniatowska's own experiences and observations, these post disaster testimonies speak of the disruption of families and neighborhoods, of the destruction of homes and hospitals, of mutilation and death the collective loss of a city. Drawing the reader dramatically into the scene of national horror through dozens of personal stories, Poniatowska demonstrates the importance of courage and self-reliance in redeeming life from chaos. Elena Poniatowska, a prominent and prolific Mexican journalist and novelist, has written twenty-five books. Several have been translated into English, including "Massacre in Mexico" about the 1968 student/worker uprising in Mexico City, and the forthcoming "Tinisima", which centers upon the life of Tina Modotti. Aurora Camacho de Schmidt is Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Swarthmore College. She has worked as a writer and as the National Representative for the Mexico-U.S. Border Program of the American Friends Service Committee. Arthur Schmidt is Associate Professor of History and former Director of the Latin American Studies Center at Temple University. He is the author of "The Social and Economic Effect of the Railroad in Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico, 1867-1911".

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

This powerful account chronicles the human drama of the devastating earthquake that rocked Mexico City

Product Details

• Paperback: 327 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press (July 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566393450
• ISBN-13: 978-1566393454
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must Read on Urban Poor, December 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Nothing, Nobody: The Voices Of the Mexico City Earthquake (Paperback)

This book provides an excellent account of the Mexico city earthquate. Yet what is most poignant about it is that it describes the events through the eyes of the urban poor. IT is very detailed in description, and at times graphic. Some of the accounts are inspiring, while many of them reveal the true nature of the Mexican ruling class. If anyone is interested in urban poor in South America, this book is a must read. It will have you cheering the silent heroism of so many poor Mexicans, while at the same time arousing a feirce anger towards the government that let so many of them down.

The book also conveys to the reader a sense of the magnitude of Mexican city and how devasting the earthquake was. It reveals how the poor are so dramatically affected by such an event, yet how they are so often forgotten. Literally, to the point of death. This is an excellent book.