Neteros, The first week of May welcomes us with five exciting reviews. They cover the topics of (1) autobiography as a form of historical journey in Jamaica, (2) little known, but notable Cuban art, (3) an attempt to understand paramilitary and death squads, (4) the role of enslaved soldiers in the wars for independence, and (5) an essay on a contentious book about the Catholic Church in Latin America. True to our international appeal, we continue publishing reviews in Spanish (and seek to publish in French and Portuguese) and search for diverse and able reviewers, even outside of the United States (and aim to review more works published abroad too).
Damion Blake (University of West Indies and Virginia Tech) introduces the reader to a form of literature similar to “testimonios” that do more than describe life in colonial Jamaica from the perspective of the subaltern. Yvonne Shorter Brown’s _Dead Woman Pickney_ blends historical scholarship with the personal in a way that makes the history of colonial Jamaica accessible and attractive to readers of all types. The focus is on the author’s quest for her mother’s past, and through her pursuit we learn about gender, race, coloration, and class in the last decades of British colonialism on the island. A postcolonial narrative, Blake highly recommends this poignant and entertaining book for the classroom and for research as a form of primary source.
Alexandrine Boudreault-Fournier (Université Laval) writes in Spanish about a collection of Cuban art that was rescued from the Fidelista’s censuring project. The Ramos Collection in Zeida Comesañas Sardiñas’ _Great Masters of Cuban Art_, a bilingual book, is the product of years of clandestine safeguarding and intercontinental collectors’ chase. Here the reader would find Cuban paintings dated from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Ramos Collection, Boudreault-Fournier tells us, is a must for all those interested in Cuban history and art history in general.
Daniel Breslau (Virginia Tech) offers a decidedly scholarly review of Julie Mazzei’s _Death Squads or Self-Defense Forces?_ Breslau informs that differently from other works on paramilitaries, Mazzei’s work is refreshingly comparative and theoretically useful (a combination not easily found together). The focus is on assorted groups in Chiapas, Colombia, and El Salvador. Mazzei proposes a nuanced view of paramilitaries as more than covert detachments of national militaries. Mezzei’s study shows that (apparent) nonstate militarized action consistently came about when reformist governments tried civilian rule and transparency. Despite problems inherited in the comparative system, Mazzei’s work is an important contribution in the field of terror, civilian and military studies.
Jesse Cromwell (The University of Texas at Austin) focuses on Peter Blanchard’s
_Under the Flags of Freedom_. In a highly readable analysis of the book, Cromwell explains why Blanchard’s book is indispensable for the study of the Wars for Independence and of Blacks in Latin America. Blanchard’s archival research spanned through Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, England, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. And his contribution goes beyond showing how enslaved Blacks assisted on both sides of the conflict and the motivations that led them to enlist. Blanchard also shows the underpinnings of the institution of slavery and its longevity; how slavery lasted for about a generation even after the wars have ended. Cromwell puts Blanchard in a historiographical context, and affirms that in spite of some criticism, this book now fills a gap in Abolitionism and Black studies in Latin America.
Jayeel S. Cornelio (National University of Singapore) takes the arduous task of bringing into a scholarly discussion a book meant for pious readerships. Edward L. Cleary’s _How Latin America Saved the Soul of the Catholic Church_ attempts to show how the Catholic Church in Latin America has not only changed itself, but transformed the global church. Cleary’s enthusiasm for the Latin American Catholic experience is obvious throughout the book, and Cornelio patiently leads the reader through each of these steps. The Church, according to Cleary, continues to grow, continues to lead, and has a consistent and strong voice for justice: it has come out of the shadows by appropriating certain tenets of popular religiosity and social justice (read Theology of Liberation?). But, as Cornelio reminds us, that is not the entire story. There are some sinister corners that Cleary clearly missed, and these are necessary to highlight for us to have a complete picture of the Church in Latin America. Cornelio does even more than provide this standard criticism as he also shows us that a worldly broader portrait of the Church should include the Global South.
No comments:
Post a Comment