Evita- The Real Life of Eva Peron
Before traveling to far off lands, I typically like to pick up a book or two to read about the history or a significant person in that country or culture. For Argentina, the easy choice was Evita & my fascination with politics since our last trip made it an enjoyable read. Although much of her life is surrounded by myth, mystery, legend and propaganda, it was a great biography that attempted to separate fact from fiction. Eva Peron lead an incredible life from a poverty through acting and finally becoming one of Argentina’s most beloved political leaders and philanthropists. Reading about such a fascinating personality was a great way to learn a little about the very volatile and dangerous political history of the country where military coups & riots were normal only a few decades ago.
The first book I actually tried to read for our trip was In Patagonia written as memoir about the author’s travels during the 1940′s through the vast & lonely wild west of South America. At that time Argentina and Chile, especially the rugged and mountainous land between them, were the “new” American wild west- vast, untamed, lawless, filled with immigrants. This book isn’t so much a story with a plot as it is a collection of narratives about the people he meets & the places the traveled. Although some of the vignettes were fascinating, I had a hard time really getting into the book & didn’t actually finish it. I read enough to get a taste of the majesty of the land and the type of people that sought refuge in such a remote and challenging place. Although we missed most of Patagonia this time (so bummed…), I learned a great deal about the people & culture of the area.
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: I’m going shopping this afternoon & then another girls GTG tonight.
