My Life as a Colombian Revolutionary: Reflections of a Former Guerrillera
"a must read for anyone who wishes to gain insight into why people are willing to risk their lives in a violent struggle against oppression," Multicultural Review "One of the principal strength of her account lies in the human face she gives to the M-19...The result is a highly readable account of the life and culture of the M-19 militants...Vasquez Perdomo's autobiography provides insights invaluable to that end." Contemporary Sociology "gripping...Vasquez Perdomo's work makes a significant contribution to a void in women's testimonial literature in Latin America, describing her personal experiences with the movement's activities so that the reader is moved and informed...the book adds to a collective understanding of Colombia's bloody history and women's position in it." The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education "With sweeping narration, the rebel leader recounts her near-death experiences and exhilarating love affairs as she participated in covert operations against the government, providing a fascinating look at what it was like to be a young feminist within a guerrilla movement." Latina magazine "Maria Eugenia Vasquez-Perdomo's ethnographic exorcism of the ghosts from her clandestine past, and her struggle to uncover the early experiences that shaped her decision to take up arms, are riveting. ... The tone of this book is not solemn or maudlin, and it renders in realistic and compelling terms the appeal of abstract ideals and how these were transformed into concrete lived experience...The brief but exceedingly balanced and thoughtful introduction to modern Colombian history by Arthur Schmidt provides an excellent contextual framework for the account. Translator Lorena Terando has also done a commendable job of rendering difficult colloquial Spanish into a lively and well-paced narrative that retains the author's sense of humor and personal voice." The HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW