El Ekeko: Un Misterio Boliviano |
Testigo: La Historia de Brayan |
El Ekeko is a fictional story that follows Paco, a young boy living in Bolivia. Paco comes from a poor family, and also has to deal with being bullied in school. However, Paco's misfortune changes when he discovers a mysterious clay figure from his grandfather, capable of making small items into real things. This results in Paco becoming greedy, yet eventually realizes the benefit of using the figure for the sake of others.
What I remember most from this book was the use of sliding in cultural references, and keeping true to the geography of Bolivia. The story is set in La Paz / El Alto, two side by side cities on the edge of Bolivia, situated in the mountains. Alongside this geography, the culture appears through things like the witches' market, indigenous women known as Cholitas, El Festival de Alasitas, and most prominently El Ekeko all appearing within the book. After the unit was over, there were a few things that stood out to me. Most prominently, Bolivia is an absolutely beautiful country, with lots of lakes and mountains. They also have lots of interesting food, celebrations, and traditions. One of said traditions is to bury a llama fetus under a newly constructed house, as an offering to Pachamama, the Earth Mother in Incan mythology. Very strange, yet fascinating. If I ever end up in South America, I'd like to visit Bolivia... maybe not for the last reason though. |
Testigo is a non-fiction biography about Brayan, a teenager who fled from Guatemala after one of his friends was killed by gang violence. The story describes his time traveling across Mexico, using false identities and risky tactics to reach the United States, where his mother lives.
Something that stuck out to me from this book was the process of immigration. It's not a topic many people would discuss or even think about, simply assuming that it has to do with the US border. However, it's a lot more difficult, because a lot of these immigrants are actually coming from further south, meaning that they first have to lie their way through Mexico. Furthermore, a lot of these immigrants are, like Brayan, fleeing from their countries (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador) due to the high crime rate and shootings. Once finished with this book, a major thing I remember was the use of coyotes. And no, not the animals... a coyote is essentially a human trafficker. However, usually one coyote does not accommodate an immigrant for their entire journey. There are multiple coyotes that an immigrant gets handed off to, which can be very problematic. For example, one of the coyotes Brayan was with refused to help him, and instead stole all his money to buy more beer. So while a coyote is usually the go-to option for immigrants, it isn't always the best solution. |