Ellen Urbani :: The Book :: Reader Comments

Reader Comments

The following reviews are from Ellen's readers. Please add your review of When I Was Elena at Amazon.com.

     "Thank you so much for your book! I lived in Guatemala from 2002-2004 but my experience mirrors yours from 10 years earlier. Somehow, gracias a Dios, I was one of the 1-2% that did not have anything happen to me, though I witnessed the full gamut of crimes from slashed bags to rapes amongst my friends. Living in fear and just waiting for something to inevitably happen to me was truly debilitating. I think I often felt guilty for being one of the few who just imagined the atrocities but didn't have to live them in the flesh.
     Just as with your experience, many volunteers didn't complete their two years in Guatemala while I was there. When I arrived there, I thought everyone would stay. I did not realize that leaving was even an option and I hadn't a clue about the safety issues we would have to deal with. My project began with 21 volunteers on the first day of training and we finished with 8 at our COS conference! Seven women and one man!
     Again, thank you so much for your book. You have put into words so many of the things that I experienced in Guatemala--good and bad. It has been my experience that people are impressed by the Peace Corps but aren't always that interested in hearing about it. (I could talk for hours and hours about the people and my time there.) However, telling your story in a memoir is a beautiful way to do it. I truly love how you told the story from your point of view and then from that of the other women. You captured their ways of thinking and cultural beliefs so well. By telling their stories in the first person, you give them a voice and provide the reader with an insight into the culture that would be difficult to do in your own voice. Thank you for that. It reminds me that I need to contact my female friends in Guatemala. Your book has reawakened me to my own time in Guatemala that has been squashed a bit by life here in the states. My soul has been hurting a bit for Guatemala and my memories of being there and you have helped me to reconnect with that part of myself that is so key to who I am now."

-- Meridith Orem

"For me, this book was that rare book that stays with you, lingering in your thoughts far beyond expectation. While I have not had the kind of remarkable journey in a foreign land that this author portrays, I identified with the girl in Laura Ashley outfits stepping off the bus wearing her duct tape on her arm (no room in the stuffed suitcases) moving through people and experience and time to a place of maturity and awareness. This coming of age, while varying in its degrees of harshness, is universal. What I loved as much as Ms. Hiltebrand's self examination, was her glimpses into the lives of the other women she met and held close. Between each chapter written in the author's voice was a narrative from the perspective of one of the women she met on her journey. While I was unsure of how these chapters would flow after hearing of this unique approach (one which is getting a bit of eyebrow raising) once I read the first chapter or two in an alternate voice, I began to expect and welcome the interruption with anticipation of another great woman and fascinating story. Within the story there was ample opportunity to dive into multiple levels and themes, (women's studies, Guatemalan life and culture, risk and adventure, religion in the third world). In the midst of some truly sorrowful situations, humor is surprisingly used with great skill. I highly recommend reading "When I Was Elena," as its a rare first novel that is this poetic or moving."

-- Jennifer Greenberg

"I have just this moment finished this exceptional book and I am nearly numb from the experience. I am in awe of Ellen's abilities both as a writer and as a survivor. Her words allowed me to easily place her in my mind's eye in each of the humorous / harrowing / touching / frightful / endearing / heart-wrenching / celebratory moments. I had to continually remind myself that these were the real experiences of a real woman and not the "written with a movie in mind" pot boilers that keep many a reader enthralled these days. Her descriptions came off of the pages in leaps and bounds and grabbed me by the collar and shook my senses to life. I'm so glad I read this book and I cannot wait to share it with others."

-- Melanie Curry

"Ellen Urbani Hiltebrand's "When I Was Elena" captured me from the first words. I found it fascinating to accompany her as she relived her adventures while serving in the Peace Corp in Guatamala. I was particularly taken by her relationships with the women she encountered, the influence she had on them and they had on her. In trying to imagine myself in a similar situation, I don't think I would have had the fortitude, bravery and compassion that she exhibited, but was inspired to try to realize those qualities in myself. Hiltebrand is adept in her down-to-earth writing, with humor injected, keeping my interest to the end."

-- Janice Kaminsky

"I thought this was a very interesting book, full of funny, poignant, and scary stories of a beautiful young woman trying to make a difference in a foreign country at war. She could have taken a number of approaches to sharing her stories. I liked that she chose her relationships with the women she met and told the stories from her own and from their perspectives. Very clever approach. Her perspective as an older adult looking back at her youthful adventures held good wisdom. I highly recommend it."

-- Ren Reader

"When gifted author Ellen Urbani Hiltebrand was Elena, she had an amazing experience. Now she has woven a tale so moving and so well written, I feel as though I could have been in Guatemala with her. Her memoir is a captivating, entertaining, terrifying, enlightening account, a must read!"

-- Priscilla Alexander

"I absolutely LOVED this book. The way in which the author arranged the chapters always left me wondering who I'd be learning about next. Her candid descriptions of her not-always-glamorous experiences are so brave and commendable! This girl has spunk and moxie and I very much enjoyed the book. I've recommended it to my friends, and although it's not in my local bookstore, I've suggested they look into it and carry it."

-- Natasha Miller

"Ellen's understanding of the Guatemalan culture comes through in the voices of the women she portrays in her book. The alternating chapters - one in her voice, the other in another woman's voice - show how two very distinct women view the same situations. The chapters in the Guatemalan women's voices seem as though they could really be those women speaking. When reading the book you are able to 'experience' Guatemala."

-- Ezzy Duque

"A detailed and harrowing tale of encountering how the other 95% of the world lives. After spending 14 years growing up in Asia, I developed genuine fear and worry about what would become of the pleasant but terribly naive Peace Corps Volunteers who showed up regularly in the strangest places. A must read for anyone hoping to experience the real world of abject poverty lived with joy and dignity."

-- Rob Kendall

"Reading "When I Was Elena" takes you on a journey with Ellen and Cali (her beloved German shepherd) through not only the wilds of Guatemala, but through your own experience as a female. The stories written in her voice and the voices of the women she meets during her Peace Corps journey highlight the shocking difference of everyday life in a third world country and the USA. It makes me appreciate things I completely take for granted and creates awareness and empathy in me for my sisters across the globe who strive each day to be strong, raise families, stay healthy and happy. Ellen's writing is invigorating and illustrative - I feel like I was there with her!"

-- Kristin Martinez

Ellen Urbani

WHEN I WAS ELENA

Reader Comments