Reading 1001 discussion

Quarterly Read 2019

Galeano was a was an Uruguayan journalist, writer and novelist considered, a literary giant of the Latin American left". In this work of fiction that reads like history and is history the author presents the history of America (Canada, US, Mexico, Central, and South America in this trilogy The Memory of Fire that covers the time period of the 1500s to 1984. I especially enjoyed book 1 and 2 which covers up to 1900s. The latter, more recent history was interesting to explore from the perspective of this leftist author and journalist. I believe that this book is historically accurate and gives the reader the truth of history from the writers POV. This was a violent, painful read, especially the last book. With time you would think things would improve but they only got worse. I am ashamed for the US and the part that it played in the manipulations of these countries. There was opportunity to do great things but instead people with greed called the shots. I am not a leftest in any way and do not feel that this is a story of capitalism verses socialism as the author presents. People are the source of evil, not ideology, guns, drugs. We must own our contribution to the problems no matter who we are. I learned a lot and I know that this book will be a resource that I will turn to often. The points I really enjoyed were the references to great literature and authors through history. I recommend this book to anyone who likes history, who wants to know more about our neighbors or about America.