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A review by melbsreads
The Disappeared by Gloria Whelan
4.0
3.5 stars.
This book is really more of a novella, not even hitting the 150 page mark. It's set in Argentina during the 1970s and is told in the form of letters between a brother and sister following his abduction by the secret police. Silvia devises a plan to save her brother by attracting the attention of Noberto, son of a powerful general. Meanwhile, her brother Eduardo, is telling us his side of the story from prison - the events that brought him to the attention of the military in the first place, and what he's experiencing in prison.
This was the first time I'd heard of Los Desaparecidos - those who were taken by the secret police and the military in Argentina during military rule in the second half of the twentieth century. So this is an important book, if it makes people aware of Argentina's history. But at the same time, it was so short that it felt like it barely skimmed the surface of the story. And there's so much more here that could have been fleshed out and expanded and developed to make it a harder hitting story. Add in the fact that the ending felt a little too neat and tidy, and it was a quick and decent read, but probably not one that will stay with me.
This book is really more of a novella, not even hitting the 150 page mark. It's set in Argentina during the 1970s and is told in the form of letters between a brother and sister following his abduction by the secret police. Silvia devises a plan to save her brother by attracting the attention of Noberto, son of a powerful general. Meanwhile, her brother Eduardo, is telling us his side of the story from prison - the events that brought him to the attention of the military in the first place, and what he's experiencing in prison.
This was the first time I'd heard of Los Desaparecidos - those who were taken by the secret police and the military in Argentina during military rule in the second half of the twentieth century. So this is an important book, if it makes people aware of Argentina's history. But at the same time, it was so short that it felt like it barely skimmed the surface of the story. And there's so much more here that could have been fleshed out and expanded and developed to make it a harder hitting story. Add in the fact that the ending felt a little too neat and tidy, and it was a quick and decent read, but probably not one that will stay with me.