WHEN I WAS ELENA
A Memoir by Ellen Urbani
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The Book
When is a memoir more than a remembrance? When it also contains stories about the author written from the perspectives of those she limns - a truly unique twist on the genre.
The premise of When I Was Elena is simple: A young American woman accepts John F. Kennedy's timeless invitation to "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" by joining the Peace Corps and serving in Guatemala during the turbulent '90s. Though not an uncommon experience, Ellen's rendition of her adventure eclipses previous accounts by lyrically and insightfully re-creating those two action-packed years not only in her own voice, but in the voices of the indigenous women she encountered during her journey. These women challenge her in ways no politician would ever dare; though they ask much of her, they also give to her more than she ever expected.
Meet Lupe, a mayor's privileged wife, offered the chance to reverse a twenty-year-old decision pitting money against love; Alma, a twelve-year-old incest victim; Rosa, who struggles daily to feed eight with food enough for four; Juanita, kidnapped into indentured servitude and haunted forever after by its affects; Hermilda, an escapee from house arrest; Claire, a rape survivor; and Lucinda, the left-behind wife of a political martyr. And through their eyes, meet Elena, who overcame mountainous obstacles (hellish heat, intestinal parasites, tarantulas the size of a man's fist, cholera, encounters with bandits and guerillas, and an attempted rape) to emerge from her experience with a constant humility and an equally constant good humor that will leave readers laughing out loud even as they cringe.
Ellen may have been a pampered, shoes-must-match-the-bag gringa, but Elena rises above her upbringing to become a model of courage and resilience. In a country known for its abject poverty and poor regard for women, Elena transforms from a girl into a woman who earns respect even from those who at first despised her.
An enthralling memoir, When I Was Elena details the coming-of-age adventures of a heroine for the new millennium.
