My take on: Prayers for the Stolen

"Now we make you ugly, my mother said. She whistled. Her mouth was so close she sprayed my neck with her whistle-spit. I could smell beer. In the mirror I watched her move the piece of charcoal across my face. It's a nasty life, she whispered. It's my first memory. She held an old cracked mirror to my face. I must have been about five years old. The crack made my face look as if it had been broken into two pieces. The best thing you can be in Mexico is an ugly girl." Pg. 1


A somber tone is set almost immediately in Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement. Ladydi Garcia Martinez and her mother live their lives in fear.

Fear of the drug dealers and corrupt police who rule over the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico. Fear that Ladydi could be kidnapped at any moment and sold into sexual slavery. The sounds of an approaching vehicle are a signal to run and hide. If you're lucky you can be born ugly. Nobody wants the ugly girl. But if you're a pretty girl, like Ladydi, you run and hide. Ladydi often spends hours hidden in a hole in the backyard. When that's not enough, Ladydi and her friends dress and act like boys. Nobody wants a boy either. A little charcoal on their teeth and boyish clothes on their bodies do little to calm their fears, but it's better than nothing.

The men of the village are long gone, they've left their families for the chance at better jobs in Acapulco and in the United States. Women and children are left to fend for themselves. Ladydi's mother is constantly on edge. All she has to take the edge off is alcohol and a compulsive stealing habit. Ladydi is left to make excuses for her wacky mother's behavior, even when those actions lead to violence. When Ladydi finally gets out of Guerrero, by working for a wealthy family in Acapulco, she gets her first chance at love and at freedom. That little taste of freedom comes at a high price. What price? I can't tell you, you have to read the book!

The writing style can take some time to get used to. There are no quotes. The book reads like one long stream of consciousness, which can be hard to get used to. The first 2/3 of the book were thoroughly engrossing. I felt like I was in Ladydi's head. Unlike most teenagers, Ladydi doesn't allow herself to dream of some fantasy life. She just knows how to survive in the moment. The writer does a good job of shining a light some of the real-life fears women in Mexico are facing. Overall, this was a very good book but the last 20-25 pages fell a little flat for me. The story seems to get off track. Ladydi meets and interacts with characters that I just could not empathize with. This is a short, but thought-provoking novel worth reading.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy from Penguin Random House's Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.