JOURNEY OF DREAMS

Tomasa lives, then leaves, in fear. It is 1984, and her life in the Guatemalan highlands is threatened by a bloody, endless civil war. In the evenings, Tomasa and her family share stories and laugh, the healing power of storytelling encouraging them to overcome the terror. A green machine, sharp as a machete, whirs above their ni’tzja; planes rain chemicals on to the fields; green army pickup trucks kidnap Mayan boys; the villagers are afraid to speak. Tomasa’s mother, Martina, does speak out and is forced to leave with her older son, Carlos. Praying and dreaming, Tomasa escapes with her Papa, her brother Manuelito and her little sister María. They walk for months, crossing fields and rivers, the border of Mexico and the Sonoran Desert, finding refuge at The Sanctuary and the possibility of reuniting with Martina and Carlos at the end of their journey. Pellegrino’s great achievement resides in the authenticity of Tomasa’s voice as a Mayan girl. This novel will captivate both Latin American survivors of civil war and their peers. Outstanding. (glossary of Spanish and Quiché, map) (Historical fiction. YA)