Leonor: The Story of a Lost Childhood

by Paula Delgado-Kling

Paula Delgado-Kling takes us to her homeland, Colombia, where she finds answers to the country’s drug wars by examining the life of Leonor, a former child soldier in the FARC, a rural guerrilla group. Paula followed Leonor for nineteen years, from shortly after she was an active member forced into sexual slavery by a commander thirty-four years her senior, through her rehabilitation and struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, to more recent days, as the mom of two girls. Leonor’s immense resourcefulness and imagination in the face of horrendous circumstances helped her carve a space for herself in the FARC, a world dominated by males. She is beautiful, and by honing her powers of seduction, Leonor created a parallel world where she made herself a protagonist. She never stopped believing that she was a woman of worth and importance. It took her many years of therapy to accept that she was a victim. For half a lifetime, she regarded herself as “the First Lady of the Southern Bloc,” and exploited any power she fabricated for herself to stay alive. Colombia’s violence also touched Paula’s family. This narrative began with the why was her brother kidnapped and why were his guards teenagers?

Genres: Nonfiction

324 pages, Paperback

Published January 23, 2024

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a heartbreaking story about a Colombian girl, from the southern countryside, forced to enroll the former FARC due to poverty, forced displacement, and lack of other opportunities. Leonor faced all kinds of violence as a child at home, as a soldier (also the commander’s trophy girl), as a homeless young girl after her mother kicked her out, as a demobilized person (reinserted into the society) in homes run by the Government, as a temporary wife of a pastor. Her storytelling, however, pursued resilience, forgiveness, a particular resistance and a desperate desire for loving and being loved.
The narrator is the journalist Paula Delgado-Kling, who belong to one of the richest Colombian families that also faced another sort of violence and had to leave the country for a while. The abysmal contrast between Paula’s and Leonor’s stories is another proof that Colombia is not just one country. It is, indeed, a broken country with a great deal of traumatized people eager to survive at their own risk. Paula’s and Leonor’s exquisite interaction exposes the Colombian wounds before, during and after the peace process where Leonor herself links all kinds of violent marks in her body, her mind, her life, her spirit. Despite the precarious conditions, Leonor managed to survive and her story does not happen to be a sugarcoated one. Quite the contrary, it’s an appalling journey through the Colombian voiceless inhabitants whose violent journey seems to be the most remarkable feature in a extremely unequal fractured so-called country.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonor is an absolutely riveting combination of memoir and case study.

My words probably can’t do justice to my experience reading this book. Previously, I didn’t know much about Columbia or the guerilla group known as FARC. That was fascinating to learn about, but the way the author told this story was what made it so powerful and memorable.

The author, Paula Delgado-Kling, had a privileged, sheltered upbringing in Columbia. In contrast, Leonor grew up poor, in a rough section of Columbia, where the FARC flourished and her parents offered little to no protection.

The chasm between these two women is extreme and vividly portrayed. Leonor’s experiences, her limited options, her desperation, and the way she was treated throughout each facet of her life is heartbreaking.

Change doesn’t happen until there’s compassion and empathy for those who need help. This book goes a long way toward that goal.

*Thanks to CK Publicity for the free copy!*

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: Leonor: The Story of a Lost Childhood
AUTHOR: Paula Delgado-Kling
PUB DATE: 01.23.2024

There are a few books you read in your lifetime that truly make an impact. LEONOR is one of them, this true story of a young woman who was forced to grow up due to some horrific circumstances growing up in Colombia. Author Paula Delgado-Kling weaved together beautifully Leonor’s story growing up in poverty and ending up as a teenage guerrilla soldier and as a sexual slave to her much much older commander, and contrasted that to her own life as a daughter from a family with political influence.

As a person who only knew about the Colombian conflicts from afar, reading this deeply personal and detailed account is incredibly moving and impactful - a definite must read for those looking to garner insightful first hand information in a compelling read from a formidable journalist.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jaylynn Scott-Ingram · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first memoir I’ve ever read and it definitely started me on a trail!

Leonor paints a beautiful and tragic picture of the conflicts within drug trafficking.

Even though this book has some dark and sometimes cut turning scenes, there are also some beautiful moments in the countryside and within family. You can still love where you come from but know the dangers as well.

Delgado-King wrote a beautiful book that gave me a very unique perspective on Columbia.

[Louanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Paula Delgado-Kling nous offre l'histoire véridique captivante de Léonor, une enfant de Colombie qui a vécu dans les bas-fonds sordides et crasseux des bidonvilles de Bogota, sous l'emprise des FARC.

Le lecteur suit la descente aux enfers de cette jeune femme, embrigadée dans ce mouvement révolutionnaire tristement célèbre, né des révoltes paysannes successives, qui a déchiré le pays cinquante ans durant. Rejetée par sa propré mère qui ne peut plus nourrir sa marmaille, c'est la rue qui l'accueille, et cette milice armée qui l'enlève, "destinée" à l'un des Commandants...
Viols et missions se succèdent et occultent son identité jusqu'au jour où elle suit le mouvement de réhabilitation organisé par le gouvernement.

Un récit poignant ! Etourdissant ! Le malaise croit à chaque page !
Eleonor stigmatise le plaidoyer douloureux des violences faites aux femmes en Colombie, et avec elle, la vie de milliers de ces femmes kidnapées, devenues espionnes malgré elles, pour échapper à leur misère mortelle.

Une rédemtion chaotique, qu'Elénor parivendra à gagner au prix d'immenses sacrifices et de douleurs.

Lisez-le ! Vous serez stupéfait !
Car la Colombie a vu sept millions de ces citoyens, arrachés littéralement à leurs terres entre 2006 et 2016 ! Ce livre leur rend un vibrant hommage, et traduit leurs souffrances indicibles au quotidien, harponnés par l'alcool, les drogues, meurtres, guérillas et enlèvements contre rançons.

Cette vie minuscule de Eelonor, l'élève cependant au premier rang, celui qui l'a vu renaitre de ses cendres alors que tout lui semblait perdu. C'est l'histoire de son combat, saisissant et semé d'horreurs, que l'auteur nous livre sans pudeur aucune.

"Eléonore" révèle une force brutale, fulgurante, une plongée acide au coeur d'une sidération dont elle est inconsciente. De son refus de se laisser à la déshumanisation, elle nous alerte et nous terrorise à la fois, tout juste relevée de son lit de tortures que fut sa vie, et dénonce les violences et menaces récurrentes de peuples poussés au paroxysme ultime d'asservir les êtres humains à leurs machiavéliques desseins.

Prodigieux !

[Chelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very eye opening and a bit of a heart breaking read! Based on the true experience of those who have been kidnapped and part of guerrilla warfare groups in Columbia. I really did not understand the true meaning of guerrilla warfare until I read this novel. It really gives insight into the terrible and scary things that were and are still happening, and this happens all over the world. Sadly a lot of those kidnapped and forced to become part of these groups for survival are just children. They've not yet had time to grow up and yet they are being trained with weapons and taking a life is second nature for some. This novel tells the story from a few different perspectives and it was very interesting to see how each ones experience was the same and yet very different and how easy it is to get wrapped up in these groups with no way out except for death and possible death for your family as well. Leonor's story was interesting in that it seems she has blocked a lot of what happened from her memories and that the time she was with them seemed to be just one long blur. I felt for her in not knowing how to live a normal life and to trust when it was offered. Thank you to the author for the complementary ebook and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite. I definitely learned a lot from this novel and now have a far better understanding of guerrilla warfare. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful nonfiction piece. It is partially a look at the author’s life, but mostly centers around Leonor, who as a teen was part of the Revolutionary Arms Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group.

The book tells us about Leonor’s life before, during, and after she was part of the group.

Paula shares the origins and rise of FARC which helped me understand exactly the power they held.

The takeaways I got from this book is that no one was safe from the violence in Colombia.

Leonor’s story shows her persistence as she stays constantly at war with herself due to her past traumas.

It’s very hard for me to comprehend the brutality Leonor has faced.

Paula, even though she grew up in Canada, went to boarding schools, and had bodyguards for safety still had a brother who was kidnapped.

I appreciate Paula as her book is a testament to telling not only Leonor’s story, but giving us a glimpse into the political and economic life of Colombia.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paula Delgado-Kling, a journalist from Colombia, recounts the heartbreaking story of Leonor, a young girl who, shortly after becoming a member of FARC, is forced into sex slavery by the commander of this guerrilla warfare group. These are the same gangs the Colombian government negotiated a truce with in 2016!

This raw and disturbing account details that Leonor’s entire family was affected by these gangs and how she was trying to survive. But she walked into another nightmare. Eventually, she would be captured by government troops and go through rehabilitation.

While this is not an easy read, I was amazed by Leonor’s incredible perseverance and hope for a future, even after all her suffering. A hard read, but an important one - we can’t close our eyes to all the violence and abuse happening to women and children around the world.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @pauladelgadokling for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

[Wppope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading this book. At times I was appalled at some of the things that happened to Leonor. She endures incredible hardships including sexual violence, family dysfunction and substance abuse, all if which on an unimaginable scale. Her story is patiently researched and told by Paula Delgado Kling. The book juxtaposes two vastly different realities in Colombia (One of privilege and the other of poverty). The focus is on Leonor’s life and experience including joining (being forced) a guerilla group at a young age and her attempts to reintegrate to society through a social service network for former combatants. Each phase of her life is uphill but she meets her challenges with tenacious dedication. Kling does a wonderful job bringing Leonor’s story to the reader in this riveting read.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uhhhhhhhhhhh. This was by far the most depressing and disturbing book I have ever read— especially since it was nonfiction. Child soldiers, poverty, lots of death, child abuse, sex trafficking, drug trafficking and more, it’s hard to imagine that so much trauma can happen in one persons life. There were many times while reading this I had to put the book down and take a deep breath and then do something else for a bit. I don’t usually have to do that even with depressing books!

Still, these stories, no matter how difficult, must be heard if we ever want to find an end to the many tragedies in our world. Also a very poignant reminder of how economic and social disenfranchisement often leads to violence, which only breeds further violence.

[Olga Zilberbourg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating book that taught me a great deal. Years of research, writing, and reflection pay off in this moving account of a country trying to recover from a violent past. Delgado-Kling mines her privileged childhood in Bogota, Colombia to introduce a story of her unlikely relationship with Lenor who as a teen lived on the streets of a FARC stronghold Mocoa before she was recruited into a guerilla regiment. Delgado-Kling persistently draws our attention to how vast financial inequality impacts individual lives, and the social traumas that it creates. Skillfully told, this message resonates deeply.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was far off the beaten path of my normal books. And you know what, I did enjoy it. The life and of all around in the book, holy cow. I truly felt for Vera as we learned more about her. Also this book does have mention of assaults and such, it is just crazy how some people lives were back then. It is so shocking but honestly I am glad to have read it, because people need to know as to not make history sadly repeat. Such a very insightful story, so I thank you for allowing me to read such a captivating and sad story of the past life.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonor: The Story of a Lost Childhood is a heartbreaking eye-opening story by Paula Delgado-Kling.

This story is based on the true horrifying experiences in Columbia and the FARC, a guerilla warfare group.

This was a hard book to read with all the terrible things that Leonor endured from drugs to sexual slavery. Many people were kidnapped and forced into the groups.

A heartbreaking, eye opening story.

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although tough to read at times it was a truly raw and honest reality about what life in Columbia was at the time. It’s hard to imagine that these events took place not too long ago and are still a problem. The writing style made it feel like it wasn’t a nonfiction just putting out facts, it was emotional and highlighted a couple different peoples experiences. I liked that the author had personal ties to the area and events that happened in the book. It was nice to get her thoughts on the situation as well as Leonor’s. Impactful and eye opening read.

Thank you @pauladelgadokling @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gut-wrenching but fascinating story about survival and resilience. Not an easy read, it was raw, honest and brutal, but it was imposible to put down. It made me feel so many emotions, a compelling and powerful read.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 by Paula Delgado-Kling released January 23, 2024.

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author takes us to her homeland of Columbia and tells us the story of Leonor, who at a young age was forced to join the FARC, a gorilla group. This follows her life of violence, sexual slavery, drug addiction and drug trafficking. This was a powerful story about a woman overcoming a life of violence.


Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

[Christy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful read - - informative and also heartbreaking. Leonor’s early years are unimaginable and it’s remarkable (major understatement) that she survived. The author’s personal/familial connection to politics in Columbia made the story even more compelling. This was really hard to read in some ways but most definitely worth it.

[Lucia Abuin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is gripping, interesting and the book reads fast. My only annoyance with the book is that it jumps back and forth constantly, making it hard to understand where in the story’s timeline you are.

[Ashlee Tharman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so powerful and impactful. My eyes were opened to things outside the little bubble I live in and I was forced to acknowledge my own privilege in a way I've never been confronted to before. I am honored to have read Leonor's story and this will be a heartbreaking tale that sticks with me.

[Deirdre Snelgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings to life the story of Leonor, as well as the life of the author, amidst their vastly different upbringings and lives in Colombia. Superbly written, informative and a gripping page -turner. I read this book almost in one sitting.

[Jessie Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story- intriguing. Just the thought of everything that was happening was real life for the author was mind blowing. They told the story perfectly. Will recommend to other readers who like nonfiction reads.

[Marilyn Goncalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will End In Fire was fantastic. It was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. This domestic thriller was so suspenseful. I really liked Nicole Bokat’s writing style and just the overwhelming sense of apprehension I felt the entire time reading this was really good.

[Jane FW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. The author’s perspective and her own story juxtaposed with that of the main character made for a page turner. They should make this into a movie.

[Darren Wasylucha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story of a troubled but incredibly resilient young woman that also gives insight into Colombia’s history. I devoured it. Such a good read - highly reco!

[Kammi Manchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so heartbreaking but such an excellent read. It kept me engaged, and was brutal in many ways, but showed the profound struggle that life can be. Excellent read, engaging, and very raw.