Tapestries of Hope, Threads of Love: The Arpillera Movement in Chile

by Marjorie Agosín, Celeste Kostopulos-Cooperman (Translator), Isabel Allende (Introduction)

Tapestries of Hope, Threads of Love tells the story of ordinary women living in terror and extreme poverty under General Pinochet's oppressive rule in Chile (1973-1989). These women defied the military dictatorship by embroidering their sorrow on scraps of cloth, using needles and thread as one of the boldest means of popular protest and resistance in Latin America. The arpilleras they made_patchwork tapestries with scenes of everyday life and memorials to their disappeared relatives_were smuggled out of Chile and brought to the world the story of their fruitless searches in jails, morgues, government offices, and the tribunals of law for their husbands, brothers, and sons. Marjorie Agos'n, herself a native of and exile from Chile, has spent more than thirty years interviewing the arpilleristas and following their work. She knows their stories intimately and knows, too, that none of them has ever found a disappeared relative alive. Even though the dictatorship ended in 1989 and democracy returned to Chile, no full account of the detained and disappeared has ever been offered. Still, many women maintain hope and continue to make arpilleras, both in memory and as art. This new edition of the book, updated for students, includes a reaction to the death of General Pinochet, a chronology of Chile, several new testimonies from arpilleristas in their own words, and an introduction by Peter Kornbluh. It retains a section of full-color plates of arpilleras, an afterword by Peter Winn, and a foreword by Isabel Allende. Students and interested readers will find the arpilleras beautiful, moving, and ultimately hopeful, and the testimonies a powerful way to learn about the history of contemporary Latin America and the arpillera movement in Chile.

Genres: Art

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1996

About the author

Marjorie Agosín was born in Maryland and raised in Chile. She and her parents, Moises and Frida Agosín, moved to the United States due to the overthrow of the Chilean government by General Pinochet's military coup. Coming from a South American country and being Jewish, Agosín's writings demonstrate a unique blending of these cultures.

Agosín is well known as a poet, critic, and human activist. She is also a well-known spokesperson for the plight and priorities of women in Third World countries. Her deep social concerns and accomplishments have earned her many awards and recognitions, and she has gained an international reputation among contemporary women of color.

Agosín, a passionate writer, has received critical acclaim for her poetry collections, her close reflections on her parents and family, and her multi-layered stories. Within every novel, story, or poem, she captures the very essence of Jewish women at their best. Agosín's works reveal the experiences of pain and anguish of Jewish refugees. She writes about the Holocaust as well as anti-Semitic events that occurred in her native land.

Agosín has many fascinating works and is recognized in both North and South America as one of the most versatile and provocative Latin American writers. Agosín became a writer to make a difference: "I wanted to change the world through peace and beauty," she said. Today she is not only a writer, but also a Spanish professor at Wellesley College.

Reviews

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Artistlh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this book mostly from an artist's point of view, for inspiration, maybe, or as an example of what art can accomplish. I am getting more caught up in the history/politics/angst. Yesterday I realized just how shaky my grasp of Latin American geography is and I got out my atlas and am memorizing all of the countries in South America, plus their physical positions relating to each other.

Even though I am pretty sure my sense of geography is better than that of most people who have been educated in the past 30 years, I am still kind of annoyed at myself for not having a better knowledge of some of our closest neighbors. I mean, I am go-to the geography person when we do Pub Quiz, right?

When I have them stable in my mind, I will do Central America.

I am not pretending that I will ever figure out the political climate, but I'm still trying to figure that out about my own native country!

I don't know how to rate this book, but I know I am going to have to renew it and then probably take it out of the library again.

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Agosin covers an important (and often forgotten, misunderstood, or altogether ignored) period of Chilean history and women's roles within it. Provides good historical, social, and cultural context as well as moving testimonials from the arpilleristas themselves--both written and visual; the images of the arpilleras (and supporting captions) help further contextualize their art & activism. Excellent and moving resource.