A Place Called Milagro de la Paz

A Place Called Milagro de la Paz, Manlio Argueta, Curbstone Press, 2000

Set in contemporary El Salvador, this novel looks at the strength and courage of a single mother and her daughter, who carry on after the murder of the mother's older daughter in a world of extreme poverty and repression.

Latina, the mother, and Crista, the younger daughter, live in a small village in the shadow of a volcano, selling flowers and some handmade clothing to get by. One day, a nine-year-old girl named Lluvia appears and adopts the family. Orphaned by the war, and saying that she comes from a village higher up the volcano, the most noticeable thing about Lluvia is that she has butterflies in her hair, all the time. In a way, she is exactly what Latina needs to heal her soul.

This takes place against a background of evil forces. First, there is a sort of vigilante group called The Unknown Men who have an age-old grudge against the poor, and spend their nights stealing and killing. On the other side are the soldiers stationed at a nearby barracks, whose official purpose is to protect the people against criminals (those who would stir up the people by speaking out against the repressive laws under which they are forced to live).

Here is a fine piece of writing. It may take some effort on the part of the reader, but the universal themes like, love and death among marginalized people are compassionately explored. It is really good.