The world to the south of the United States is most definitely NOT “America’s backyard."  That tired colloquialism, long despised by our friends in the region, is wrong in every dimension.  Latin America and the Caribbean are not our "backyard," nor indeed our "front porch."  They are part of a neighborhood we share together that is far larger than just the United States – it is the Americas.

It has been famously said that "U.S. citizens will do anything for Latin America except read about it."  In the rush of globalization, we do not spend enough time learning about the literature and culture of our own home. This short list of books and a film are offered to provide a very preliminary introduction to the deep written and cinematic vision of the region, which has given the world seven Nobel Laureates in literature and the world renown concept of "magical realism" in fiction, among many other accomplishments.

On this list, the reader will find history and literature, fact and fiction, mood and method.  It is anything but comprehensive -- think of it as introduction not definition.  A far longer and more comprehensive list of both literature and film are available at the Southcom homepage (http://www.southcom.mil/apps/home/frm_ReadingList.aspx).

Enjoy it all …

Bernal Díaz del Castillo

The Conquest of New Spain (Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España)

Before his death in 1584, Díaz wrote this eyewitness account of Cortez’ first interactions with and subsequent conquest of the Aztecs. It provides an unvarnished look at all aspects of the conquest—good and bad—as well as of the parties involved.  Understanding the brutality of the conquistadors is fundamental to understanding the world to the south today.

David McCullough

The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914

This is a definitive account of the over four-decade long struggle to build the Panama Canal. It details the French and U.S.-led efforts behind perhaps the greatest engineering challenge of its time, and the politics behind it. The financial, sanitation, and public health elements of the story are interestingly told and clearly explained.  The canal, of course, was turned over to the Panamanian people in 1997, and runs better today than ever.

Carlos Eire

Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy

The citation for this 2003 National Book Award winner reads, “Noted religion scholar Carlos Eire’s idyllic and privileged childhood in Havana came to an end in the wake of Castro’s revolution. In this memoir, he reveals an exotic, magical Cuba and an eccentric family: his father – a municipal judge and art collector – believed that in a past life he had been King Louis XVI. In 1962, Carlos Eire’s world changed forever when he and his brother were among the 14,000 children airlifted off the island, their parents left behind. In chronicling his life before and after his arrival in the U.S., Eire’s personal story is also a meditation on loss and suffering, redemption and rebirth.”  This is an extraordinary and lyrical treatment of a great tragedy.

Jamaica Kincaid

My Brother

A heartfelt reflection on family, culture in Antigua, and a brother’s affliction with AIDS. Through a poetic and candid narrative, Kincaid illustrates her sibling’s life as both a Rastafarian and a brother. Although the work centers upon the dying of Devon Drew, it gives a compelling account of growing up on the poverty-stricken island of Antigua.  This is close-to-the-bone writing that illuminates the heart and soul of the English-speaking Caribbean – a part of the America’s that receives far less attention than it deserves.

Michael Reid

Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America’s Soul

Latin America’s diverse nations are taking equally diverse paths as they seek to grow and further develop. In some, market based economies and “conservative” fiscal policies have yielded varying degrees of success. In others, state policies are driven by populism. Still others creatively blend socialist and capitalist philosophies. Reid believes that creativity within a capitalist, democratic framework is the key to addressing the region’s underlying challenges of poverty, inequality, and corruption.  Michael Reid has written the definitive early 21st century treatment of the entire region – to the extent that a single volume covers it all, this is it.

Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, Carlos Alberto Montaner and Alvaro Vargas Llosa

Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot

Three former members of the old Left dissect and examine the character (the Latin American idiot) in a cultural critique that combines analysis with humor and a relentless self-criticism. The authors challenge the populist ideologies of both the Left and the Right and argue that much of what is wrong with Latin America is not the fault of the U.S., but rather the result of choices by Latin Americans.  In order to understand the roots of anti-US feeling in the region, this is an indispensible guide.

Isabel Allende

Inés of My Soul: A Novel (Inés del alma mía: una novela)

This historical novel—set in Spain, Perú, and Chile—describes the time of the Spanish conquest of the Americas through the eyes of Inés Suárez, the real-life wife and widow of one conquistador and later lover of another. Inés writes of her humble beginnings as a seamstress in Spain; her marriage to a conquistador who spent most of his time away from his family in search of the New World’s treasures; her journey to Perú; and, following her husband’s death, her long affair with one of Pizarro’s officers charged with carving out “civilization” in Chile.  A beautifully written volume by one of the most poetic voices of Latin America: truly evocative writing.

Gabriel García Márquez

Love in the Time of Cholera (El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera)

The novels of Colombian Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez paint a fascinating, complex view of South American society. In Love, the story of a now-elderly man and woman who may have a second chance at romance after the death of the woman’s husband of 50+ years, Garcia Marquez uses flashbacks to illustrate the power of love in its various forms, while at the same time providing insights into the people of the region.  Perhaps the premier writer of the region, Garcia Marquez is the iconic writer who illuminates the culture and history of the Americas.

Lawrence Thornton

Imagining Argentina

During Argentina’s 1976-1983 military-led dictatorship, thousands of persons believed or suspected to oppose the government were seized and held in a network of detention centers. Many disappeared without a trace. Carlos Rueda, a playwright and spouse of one of those arrested, finds himself able to conjure visions of missing persons and see their fate. This book is a classic example of magical realism in Latin American writing.  A hard book to read in the context of the horrors it unfolds, this is a necessary volume to understand much of the anti-military culture that exists in South America today.

Mario Vargas Llosa

The Feast of the Goat (Fiesta del Chivo)

The “Goat” in the title refers to the nickname of Dominican dictator Gen. Rafael Trujillo, known (and reviled) for his excesses. Vargas Llosa’s story chronicles the leader’s faltering state of mind—his rage and paranoia—while his assassination is imminent. The people’s perspective is seen through the eyes of Urania, a onetime teenage Trujillo victim who returns to the island years later.  Brutally and honestly told, no other volume so perfectly captures the true horror of life under the caudillo – the “strong man” with no limits who has so often dominated Latin America.

And a movie . . .

Joshua Marston

Maria Full of Grace (Film)

This Oscar nominated masterpiece tells the tragic story of a young girl who turns to smuggling drugs into the United States for a chance at a normal existence.  María Álvarez is a young rural Colombian girl who moves to the big city so she can make enough money and provide a decent life for her unborn baby.  Tempted by profit, she embarks on a life-threatening journey when she agrees to smuggle a half-kilo of heroin in her stomach by swallowing condoms full of cocaine.  To understand the culture of drug smuggling is to understand a significant part of the fuel of misery in the world to the south.