A History of Violence
Living and Dying in Central America
Martinez, Oscar; Washington, John B.; Ugaz, Daniela Maria
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/251538/a-history-of-violence-by-oscar-martinez/9781784781682/
Date Written: 2016-03-08
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Year Published: 2016
Pages: 288pp Price: 24.95 ISBN: 9781784781682
Resource Type: Book
Cx Number: CX19454
This is a book about one of the deadliest places in the world: Central America.
Abstract:
This is a book about one of the deadliest places in the world: Central America. El Salvador and Honduras have had the highest homicide rates in the world over the past ten years, with Guatemala close behind. Every day more than 1,000 people -- men, women, and children-- flee these three countries for North America. Óscar Martínez fleshes out these stark figures with true stories, producing a jarringly beautiful and immersive account of life in deadly locations.
Martínez travels to Nicaraguan fishing towns, southern Mexican brothels where Central American women are trafficked, isolated Guatemalan jungle villages, and crime-ridden Salvadoran slums. With his precise and empathetic reporting, he explores the underbelly of these troubled places. He goes undercover to drink with narcos, accompanies police patrols, rides in trafficking boats and hides out with a gang informer. The result is an unforgettable portrait of a region of fear and a subtle analysis of the North American roots and reach of the crisis, helping to explain why this history of violence should matter to all of us.
