The Center of the World by Jacqueline Sheehan
Reviewed by
Mark D. Walker
Having just completed my own memoir, much of which takes place in Guatemala and having all three of our children born there, Jacqueline Sheehan’s novel was a must read. I also wrote about the devastating impact of the violence in the 1990s and its root causes of this sad period in Guatemalan history, which this author introduces in beautiful prose. The story explores the mother-daughter bond which crosses cultures against the backdrop of one of the most violent times of Guatemala’s history,
Young Guatemalan adoptee Sofia is grieving the loss of her stepfather, Martin, who provides information after his death that turns everything she thought about her adoption upside down. She confronts her mother, Kate, who is forced to tell the truth, which takes her back to the 1990s (the transition is seamless).
Kate explains that she was a graduate student in Guatemala when Sofia’s parents were killed and that she had tried to protect her from the violence. But Sofia is determined to discover the truth from the past, which takes her, along with her mother and grandfather, on a journey back to Guatemala. The author’s background as a psychologist is evident in appreciating the family dynamics. Sophia’s confusion and pain are evident just as Kate’s regret and desire to make things right is heartrending. All of this is complicated by Kate’s encounter with her first love in Guatemala, “Will”, who specializes in native languages. Revenge from a fellow American back in the 1990s complicates Kate’s ability to get Sophia safely out of the country. After Kate’s narrow escape from Guatemala, Will pursued his career in Guatemala over the years working with the local Maya communities. When Sophia arrives in Guatemala, she tracks him down during her search for her true identify and looks to him for an explanation of the circums
tances that pulled her away from her own Mayan family. While in her former Maya community, Sophia experiences serious culture shock, as everything is so different from her home in the U.S., but her championship level of soccer allows her to connect with all the young people in the community. The story ends with Kate and her true love, Will, leaving a church holding hands after Sophia has popped her head to inquire, “Mom, are you okay?”
The author is a Ph.D, a novelist and essayist. She teaches writing in Guatemala. Her new book, “The Tiger in the House” came out in March of this year. In regards to the reviewer who disputed the fact that the community of Santiago Atitlan, where the initial violence took place, spoke Tz’utujil, not Kaqchikel as stated in the book, I missed this fact, although I worked in Guatemala on and off for over eight years and have visited it all my life with my Guatemalan wife. However, Guatemala has 23 native languages and they do speak Tz’utujil in Santiago, but on the other side of the Lake in Panjalachel, they speak Kaqchikel. It’s complicated. So I’ll give the author a pass and, by the way, the book is fiction, and a real page-turner.
⦁ Paperback: 336 pages
⦁ Publisher: Kensington; 1st edition (December 29, 2015)
⦁ Language: English
⦁ ISBN-10: 1617738964
⦁ ISBN-13: 978-1617738968
⦁ Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
⦁ Average Customer Review: ⦁ 4.5 out of 5 stars⦁ ⦁ 72 customer reviews
Mark Walker (Guatemala 1971-73) implemented fertilizer experiments in Guatemala and Honduras, although his most important accomplishment was a wife and three children, all born in Guatemala. Following an MA degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas in Austin, Mark co-founded a Guatemalan development agency and then managed child sponsorship programs for Plan International in Guatemala, Colombia and Sierra Leone. Mark has written and spoken in English and Spanish at a number of global conferences, including the Hemispheric Congress for Fundraising in Mexico, and has held senior fundraising positions for several groups like CARE International, MAP International, Make-A-Wish International and was the CEO of Hagar. Most recently, he completed a fundraising study for the National Peace Corps Association as a VP at Carlton & Co. His involvement promoting “World Community Service” programs led to receiving the most prestigious “Service Above Self” award from the Rotary International Foundation, and all three of his children would participate in Rotary’s “Youth Exchange” program. His memoir “Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond” received “Honorable Mention” at the Arizona Literary Award competition. Mark and his wife, Ligia, live in Scottsdale, Arizona close to their three children and six grandchildren.