The Rigoberta Menchu Controversy, Arturo Arias, Editor Reviewed by Mark D. Walker I learned of this book while helping produce a documentary on immigration problems in Guatemala, “Guatemala: Trouble in the Highlands,” when I announced that I was planning to recruit anthropologist David Stoll to work with us. I’d read his excellent studies, “Between Two Armies” and “Rigoberta Menchu and the Story of All Poor Guatemalans,” which he researched with extensive interviews in the Ixil Triangle region of Guatemala. But when I announced his involvement, a number of our advisors said they’d abandon the project if we included Stoll. Evidently, […]

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo Reviewed by Mark D. Walker I first learned of what is considered “one of the masterpieces of twentieth-century world literature” while reading Paul Theroux’s, “On the Plain of Snakes.” In his critique of Mexican literature, he mentions “Pedro Páramo” because, unlike many Mexico’s best-known authors, Rulfo wrote about rural Mexico. He mentions that the book was published in 1955 and was one of procurers of “magical realism”, which influenced many of Latin America’s best authors. When I told my Guatemalan wife about the book, she told me she “hated it.” Evidently, the Belgium nuns who […]

Maya Gods & Monsters: Supernatural Stories from the Underworld and Beyond By Carol Karasik Illustrated by Alfonso Huerta García Reviewed by Mark D. Walker Lidar image technology and a series of National Geographic specials have introduced a growing number of people to the ancient Maya civilization. This book invites in even more readers into the worldview and the mystical realm that reflect the heart of the Maya people. Through captivating stories and exotic illustrations, it also draws upon ancient myths and lore and gives life to their quirky gods. Michael Coe, respected anthropologists, and author says of Maya Gods & […]

“The Lost City of the Monkey God” by Douglas Preston Reviewed by Mark D. Walker As soon as I opened this book, I realized it offered many of the things I enjoy most: a good travelogue, lots of adventure, a historic mystery, including flesh eating bacteria, all of which reveal who the population was centuries ago, as well as something about modern Honduras. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, I was pleased to learn that two Peace Corps Volunteers were instrumental in discovering an ancient ossuary, which would turn out to be the most important archaeological find since discovering Copan. […]

Bolivia 30: Life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1960s Frank T. Darmiento (Bolivia ), author and editor CreateSpace April 2015 172 pages $24.99 (paperback), $9.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by Mark D. Walker (Guatemala 1971–73) Frank Darmiento, the author of Bolivia 30 provides a unique perspective of life in the Peace Corps in Bolivia by sharing in great detail his own story of the training process in the U.S. as well as when serving in Bolivia with his young wife. His book also includes dozen stories of others who were in his training group, which added to the texture and broadened […]

Blue Country By Mark Wentling Reviewed by Mark D. Walker I’ve been looking forward to the author’s next book after thoroughly enjoying “Africa’s Embrace,” which is part of his African Trilogy. I reviewed his book “Dead Cow Road,” which took place in Somalia, so I’m familiar with the author’s ability to spin an interesting yarn about far off places. Although the author was a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, he was also a volunteer in Honduras for five years, so I’ve been waiting for a story that took place in Central America. The author’s work and travels span more than […]

Between Inca Walls: A Peace Corps Memoir By Evelyn Kohl La Torre Reviewed by Mark D. Walker After writing my own memoir, “Different Latitudes, My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond”, I began paying more attention to this genre and have reviewed several books of fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. This book interested me as well because I’ve traveled through Peru several times over the years and my Son-In-Law is Peruvian. The book is well written as the president of the National Association of Memoir Writers, Linda Joy Myers describes, “Evelyn LaTorre creates a masterful portrait of place―from the […]

The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? By Francisco Goldman Reviewed by Mark D. Walker “The Long Night of White Chickens” was my introduction to the author and I’ve been a fan ever since. His mother is a Catholic Guatemalan, his father Jewish American, and he was born in Boston, so he started off with a very interesting combination of influences. The book is a tense, almost surrealistic detective story which opens windows on the Latin American reality of State Sponsored assassinations, mara youth gangs and organized crime. The author’s insights come out of his coverage of the […]

American Dirt By Jeanine Cummins Reviewed by Mark D. Walker As someone who has traveled through and around Mexico multiple times, I was attracted to this number one blockbuster for Hispanic Literature. Recently, I reviewed Paul Theroux’s, “On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey,” and that, plus the brutal murder of the defenseless Mormon family by the cartel in the northern state of Sonora made this a must read for me. The story begins in Acapulco, which was one of Mexico’s key resort centers, although over the years it has become increasingly violent. Lydia owns a bookstore there and […]

The Adventures of Mr. Puttison Among the Maya By Victor D. Montejo Reviewed by Mark D. Walker I read this book years ago in Spanish and decided to obtain the English version to review in order to introduce it to a broader audience. I have interacted with the author during my research for the production of a documentary on immigration, “Guatemala: Trouble in the Highlands.” He is a distinguished Anthropologist, author, poet and a native speaker of the Maya Popb’alti language. The principal character, an American traveler turns up in a remote Maya village in the Department of Huehuetenango in […]