SILENCED VOICES

Two Maryland brothers unearth their mother’s tale of survival during the Guatemalan civil war in Leon’s harrowing graphic novel.

One day at school, José learns of the genocide trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, igniting his curiosity about his mother Clara’s past, even though she shuts down questions about her homeland (his dad missed home and moved back). His older brother, Charlie, also discourages José’s curiosity. But news of the trial rattles José’s mom enough that she decides to finally share her story. In the early ’80s, Clara lived in her peaceful Qʼeqchiʼ Mayan village, blissfully untouched by the raging war—but everything changed with the arrival of the Guatemalan army and their brutally violent “full-blown scorched-earth operation.” Thanks to her fierce queer sister, Elena, Clara escaped, but the girls were forced to separate. Clara eventually headed to the U.S. alone. Deeply affected by their mother’s story, José and Charlie reflect on their family roots, embarking on a mission to determine their long-lost aunt’s fate. Split into four chapters that share the perspectives of the central characters, Leon’s testament to the power of historical memory movingly explores how the echoes of trauma continue to reverberate across the Guatemalan and Indigenous diasporas, often spanning generations. The unflinching, grounded artwork, which emphasizes the characters’ expressions and emotions, offers a few moments of levity amid the mostly unseen acts of violence.

A beautiful, timely reminder that hope is never out of reach.