Indian Woman in Guatemala" is a human story. In 1982,

when this story was recorded, Rigoberta was only

twentythree years old and had already witnessed and

experienced a lifetime of unbelievable physical,

psychological, and spiritual persecution. Her story is

a testament to the strength and endurance of the human

spirit under the most de-humanizing conditions

imaginable. At the same time, this personal narration

offers an insiders view of the social, political,

economic, religious, and cultural life of an entire

group of people. Through Rigoberta, a contemporary

Maya community comes alive bringing with it the

struggles that began with the Spanish Conquest and

continue in the Guatemala of the twentieth century.

To completely dismiss this book as garbage merely on

the grounds that not everything is true is a bit

foolish. Few people telling their own stories tell a

complete truth. For those who seek to read a good

account of how counter-insurgency forces decimated

villages, I recommend Victor Montejo's book Testimony:

Death of a Guatelmalan Village. Back to Menchu's story

--I am fully aware that David Stoll has written a book

her mother's torture, her brother's assassination --

killed the people dearest to me... Therefore, my

Some topics in this essay:
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