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The Violence: My Family's Colombian War
A powerful chronicle of Colombia’s descent into decades of civil war through the lens of an intimate, multi-generational tale of upheaval and betrayal.
When presumed president-elect Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, champion of the working class and harbinger of a new era of progressive social change, is assassinated on the eve of Colombia’s 1948 presidential election, the capital is plunged into bloodshed. So begins a singularly brutal period of Colombia’s history known simply as la violencia—a bloody civil war that spawned decades of turmoil and splintered the country into ever-shifting factions.
The Violence is an intimate history of this conflict—told not from the political center of the war but from the mountainous finca that Adriana E. Ramírez’s family tended to for generations, and through the eyes of her formidable grandmother, Esther. With startling lyricism, Ramírez illuminates the specter of violence—from guerilla warfare to the brutalities found so often in romantic relationships to the spontaneous and senseless violence steeped into everyday Colombian life during this period—and the threat that it poses to a country, and a family, that is trying to stay whole. Gracefully braiding together macrohistory, family history, and personal narrative, Adriana E. Ramírez traces these parallel stories of upheaval in a sweeping portrait of a country and family in flux.
When presumed president-elect Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, champion of the working class and harbinger of a new era of progressive social change, is assassinated on the eve of Colombia’s 1948 presidential election, the capital is plunged into bloodshed. So begins a singularly brutal period of Colombia’s history known simply as la violencia—a bloody civil war that spawned decades of turmoil and splintered the country into ever-shifting factions.
The Violence is an intimate history of this conflict—told not from the political center of the war but from the mountainous finca that Adriana E. Ramírez’s family tended to for generations, and through the eyes of her formidable grandmother, Esther. With startling lyricism, Ramírez illuminates the specter of violence—from guerilla warfare to the brutalities found so often in romantic relationships to the spontaneous and senseless violence steeped into everyday Colombian life during this period—and the threat that it poses to a country, and a family, that is trying to stay whole. Gracefully braiding together macrohistory, family history, and personal narrative, Adriana E. Ramírez traces these parallel stories of upheaval in a sweeping portrait of a country and family in flux.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2026
21 people are currently reading
2815 people want to read
About the author
Adriana E. Ramírez
6 books37 followersAdriana E. Ramírez is an author, critic, and poet based in Pittsburgh. She won the inaugural PEN/Fusion Emerging Writers Prize in 2015 for her novella-length work of nonfiction, Dead Boys (Little A, 2016). Her reviews, essays, and poems have also appeared in The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, ESPN’s The Undefeated, Los Angeles Review of Books, Guernica/PEN America, and Literary Hub among others. She once reviewed books for People Magazine. She and novelist Angie Cruz founded Aster(ix) Journal, a literary journal giving voice to the censored and the marginalized. Her debut full-length work of nonfiction, The Violence, is forthcoming from Scribner. She writes twice a week, edits InReview, and is a member editorial board for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She once lost terribly on Jeopardy!
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 9, 2026
I’ll add my accolades to the extant many. Would that all history books were written like this! The author says Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath inspired its structure and it blessedly reads like a novel. The whole country, especially its rural regions, play their parts in this recounting of what can be compared to Ireland’s The Troubles. But at the center is an unforgettable portrait of her tough, enduring grandmother, who remains alive to this day. What a debut for this author! “Debut” is a bit misleading, as she previously won the Pen/Faulkner award for her novella- length Dead Boys, and has a high quality book of poetry, Swallows. But this is a giant step forward, a book that will be read and re-read for many years to come.
April 17, 2026
An exceptional story about Colombian history told by a granddaughter whose grandparents lived through the violent times. This story makes you feel you are viewing the events yourself.A combination of history, family, romance and warring factions within Columbia. A great read which I enjoyed immensely.
April 17, 2026
Real Rating: 4.8* of five (no perfect fives for the descendant of vandals!)
The Publisher Says: A powerful chronicle of Colombia’s descent into decades of civil war through the lens of an intimate, multi-generational tale of upheaval and betrayal.
When presumed president-elect Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, champion of the working class and harbinger of a new era of progressive social change, is assassinated on the eve of Colombia’s 1948 presidential election, the capital is plunged into bloodshed. So begins a singularly brutal period of Colombia’s history known simply as la violencia—a bloody civil war that spawned decades of turmoil and splintered the country into ever-shifting factions.
The Violence is an intimate history of this conflict—told not from the political center of the war but from the mountainous finca that Adriana E. Ramírez’s family tended to for generations, and through the eyes of her formidable grandmother, Esther. With startling lyricism, Ramírez illuminates the specter of violence—from guerilla warfare to the brutalities found so often in romantic relationships to the spontaneous and senseless violence steeped into everyday Colombian life during this period—and the threat that it poses to a country, and a family, that is trying to stay whole. Gracefully braiding together macrohistory, family history, and personal narrative, Adriana E. Ramírez traces these parallel stories of upheaval in a sweeping portrait of a country and family in flux.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First, read this:
Nothing stands when nothing is anchored, tied down, held in place. Change feels like chaos to those who like the status quo, and no one human likes chaos. Even the ones who cause it do so to achieve a goal, then they try to impose an order they like better than the one they destroyed.
Author Ramírez, whose father-in-law I proudly claim friendship with, tells the violent, chaotic story of the Colombian civil war of (more or less) 1948 to 1954 using the lens of her own family's participation (avoidance is also participation) in the events of the time. It is a dark, terrible one, this story; no one comes out of civil war without a smudge on their personal or familial reputation. I refer to an act of heinous vandalism on the corpus of History that Author Ramírez's family perpetrated...my inner historian was so wounded by it I was forced to lie down for an hour with a cool compress over my eyes. Murder, rape, torture...well, that's war isn't it...but burning records?!? *shudder* Unforgivable.
Fortunately my forgiveness is neither requested nor required. The family survived, the deeds done made the existence of this book possible. Its publication today, the fourteenth of April 2026, launches a writing career into a new literary orbit. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has, until now, been Author Ramírez's writing home so this memoir of history and family is her mark on the book-reading world. It is a story only she could tell, told with clarity and a great deal of honesty. If I'd discovered my family had burned records I would not admit it out loud, still less commit it to the permanent record of publishing it! Kudos for bravery, and may the Terminators of the history department that clearly must exist in some weird corner of spacetime choose not to expunge the bloodline.
I think I fell asleep watching a movie....
What made this a good read for me was the voice Author Ramírez chose to convey this blend of history and family memoir in. It is a book-length chat with a good raconteuse, a lovely, long chat after dinnner with an interesting friend. It is, as mentioned, dark of subject but not grim or gross of recounting. I do not think anyone's expectations of an involving, emotionally resonant read will be disappointed. I'm very glad I was introduced to the political complexities surrounding La Violencia in such a personal way. Reading about politicians and diplomats and US imperialism is definitely something I enjoy doing; I prefer to approach history with a flexible set of expectations, however, so seek out what more intimate and reflective storytelling I can find to enliven the public facts.
Author Ramírez has received warm reviews in multiple venues, most excitingly to me Time Magazine with its many millions of readers. The praise early readers like Idra Novey and Angie Cruz is praise she earned by careful and attentive wordsmithing. I've known since I began reading her journalism several years ago that Author Ramírez was both talented and skilled at the craft of writing. I am excited for us, the commmunity of readers, that she is also able and confident enough to listen to the muses' whispered inspiration and then to give us deep life-giving drafts of storytelling water.
The Publisher Says: A powerful chronicle of Colombia’s descent into decades of civil war through the lens of an intimate, multi-generational tale of upheaval and betrayal.
When presumed president-elect Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, champion of the working class and harbinger of a new era of progressive social change, is assassinated on the eve of Colombia’s 1948 presidential election, the capital is plunged into bloodshed. So begins a singularly brutal period of Colombia’s history known simply as la violencia—a bloody civil war that spawned decades of turmoil and splintered the country into ever-shifting factions.
The Violence is an intimate history of this conflict—told not from the political center of the war but from the mountainous finca that Adriana E. Ramírez’s family tended to for generations, and through the eyes of her formidable grandmother, Esther. With startling lyricism, Ramírez illuminates the specter of violence—from guerilla warfare to the brutalities found so often in romantic relationships to the spontaneous and senseless violence steeped into everyday Colombian life during this period—and the threat that it poses to a country, and a family, that is trying to stay whole. Gracefully braiding together macrohistory, family history, and personal narrative, Adriana E. Ramírez traces these parallel stories of upheaval in a sweeping portrait of a country and family in flux.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First, read this:
A Colombian aphorism says that to understand tomorrow, you need to make sense of yesterday. Like a long line of dominoes, one moment in time topples another, which topples another, until soon nothing stands.
Nothing stands when nothing is anchored, tied down, held in place. Change feels like chaos to those who like the status quo, and no one human likes chaos. Even the ones who cause it do so to achieve a goal, then they try to impose an order they like better than the one they destroyed.
Author Ramírez, whose father-in-law I proudly claim friendship with, tells the violent, chaotic story of the Colombian civil war of (more or less) 1948 to 1954 using the lens of her own family's participation (avoidance is also participation) in the events of the time. It is a dark, terrible one, this story; no one comes out of civil war without a smudge on their personal or familial reputation. I refer to an act of heinous vandalism on the corpus of History that Author Ramírez's family perpetrated...my inner historian was so wounded by it I was forced to lie down for an hour with a cool compress over my eyes. Murder, rape, torture...well, that's war isn't it...but burning records?!? *shudder* Unforgivable.
Fortunately my forgiveness is neither requested nor required. The family survived, the deeds done made the existence of this book possible. Its publication today, the fourteenth of April 2026, launches a writing career into a new literary orbit. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has, until now, been Author Ramírez's writing home so this memoir of history and family is her mark on the book-reading world. It is a story only she could tell, told with clarity and a great deal of honesty. If I'd discovered my family had burned records I would not admit it out loud, still less commit it to the permanent record of publishing it! Kudos for bravery, and may the Terminators of the history department that clearly must exist in some weird corner of spacetime choose not to expunge the bloodline.
I think I fell asleep watching a movie....
What made this a good read for me was the voice Author Ramírez chose to convey this blend of history and family memoir in. It is a book-length chat with a good raconteuse, a lovely, long chat after dinnner with an interesting friend. It is, as mentioned, dark of subject but not grim or gross of recounting. I do not think anyone's expectations of an involving, emotionally resonant read will be disappointed. I'm very glad I was introduced to the political complexities surrounding La Violencia in such a personal way. Reading about politicians and diplomats and US imperialism is definitely something I enjoy doing; I prefer to approach history with a flexible set of expectations, however, so seek out what more intimate and reflective storytelling I can find to enliven the public facts.
Author Ramírez has received warm reviews in multiple venues, most excitingly to me Time Magazine with its many millions of readers. The praise early readers like Idra Novey and Angie Cruz is praise she earned by careful and attentive wordsmithing. I've known since I began reading her journalism several years ago that Author Ramírez was both talented and skilled at the craft of writing. I am excited for us, the commmunity of readers, that she is also able and confident enough to listen to the muses' whispered inspiration and then to give us deep life-giving drafts of storytelling water.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War by Adriana E. Ramírez is an account of Colombia’s history beginning with the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in 1948, which started La Violencia, a period of brutal conflict and oppression of rural and working-class people. At the center of the book is Ramírez’s grandmother, Esther, a powerful woman who navigated political violence, spiritual, emotional violence as she tried to keep her integrity and her family’s land and assets in the face of increasing political turmoil and guerilla warfare.
Woven through Esther’s story are moments that stress the importance of understanding the past: “A Colombian aphorism says that to understand tomorrow, you need to make sense of yesterday. Like a long line of dominoes, one moment in time topples another, which topples another, until soon nothing stands.” As Ramírez writes to make sense of her family’s yesterdays and grapples with the impact of her grandparents’ choices, readers will see parallels to the issues we are all facing today, both personal and political, as well as the burden placed on those who recognize history’s patterns: “And we students of history, we men of God and revolution, saw it all coming but we were called radicals and expelled from our pulpits.”
The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War operates on two levels. One is the story of Colombia and the other is a story of a family and community. Both are torn apart by various forms of violence and are still grappling with how to heal and how (or even whether) to forgive. At the center is Ramírez’s grandmother, Esther, who finds ways to maintain her strength and dignity while surrounded by political conflict and personal betrayal.
I found this book engaging and thought provoking. I saw so many parallels between both Esther’s personal conflicts and Colombia’s political conflicts with what we see in the world today. I highly recommend this book!
Woven through Esther’s story are moments that stress the importance of understanding the past: “A Colombian aphorism says that to understand tomorrow, you need to make sense of yesterday. Like a long line of dominoes, one moment in time topples another, which topples another, until soon nothing stands.” As Ramírez writes to make sense of her family’s yesterdays and grapples with the impact of her grandparents’ choices, readers will see parallels to the issues we are all facing today, both personal and political, as well as the burden placed on those who recognize history’s patterns: “And we students of history, we men of God and revolution, saw it all coming but we were called radicals and expelled from our pulpits.”
The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War operates on two levels. One is the story of Colombia and the other is a story of a family and community. Both are torn apart by various forms of violence and are still grappling with how to heal and how (or even whether) to forgive. At the center is Ramírez’s grandmother, Esther, who finds ways to maintain her strength and dignity while surrounded by political conflict and personal betrayal.
I found this book engaging and thought provoking. I saw so many parallels between both Esther’s personal conflicts and Colombia’s political conflicts with what we see in the world today. I highly recommend this book!
April 20, 2026
The Violence is a deeply moving and intricately layered work that blends personal narrative with national history to illuminate one of Colombia’s most turbulent eras.
In this book, Adriana E. Ramírez traces the impact of La Violencia through the lens of her own family, offering a perspective that is both intimate and expansive.
The story begins in the shadow of the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, a pivotal moment that ignited widespread unrest and set the stage for decades of conflict. From there, the narrative shifts away from the political center to focus on lived experience particularly through the figure of the author’s grandmother, whose presence anchors the story with strength and resilience.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to bridge scales. It moves fluidly between macrohistory and personal memory, showing how large scale political violence permeates everyday life, relationships, and identity.
The prose is strikingly lyrical, bringing both beauty and weight to the narrative. This stylistic approach deepens the emotional impact without diminishing the gravity of the subject matter.
Another notable aspect is the exploration of different forms of violence. The book does not limit itself to warfare and political conflict; it also examines interpersonal and systemic violence, revealing how deeply these forces can shape individuals and families.
Thematically, the work engages with memory, survival, and the fragility of stability. It raises important questions about how people endure prolonged uncertainty and how histories both personal and collective are carried forward.
Overall, The Violence is a powerful and nuanced account that offers both a historical perspective and a deeply human story, making it a compelling and resonant read.
In this book, Adriana E. Ramírez traces the impact of La Violencia through the lens of her own family, offering a perspective that is both intimate and expansive.
The story begins in the shadow of the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, a pivotal moment that ignited widespread unrest and set the stage for decades of conflict. From there, the narrative shifts away from the political center to focus on lived experience particularly through the figure of the author’s grandmother, whose presence anchors the story with strength and resilience.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to bridge scales. It moves fluidly between macrohistory and personal memory, showing how large scale political violence permeates everyday life, relationships, and identity.
The prose is strikingly lyrical, bringing both beauty and weight to the narrative. This stylistic approach deepens the emotional impact without diminishing the gravity of the subject matter.
Another notable aspect is the exploration of different forms of violence. The book does not limit itself to warfare and political conflict; it also examines interpersonal and systemic violence, revealing how deeply these forces can shape individuals and families.
Thematically, the work engages with memory, survival, and the fragility of stability. It raises important questions about how people endure prolonged uncertainty and how histories both personal and collective are carried forward.
Overall, The Violence is a powerful and nuanced account that offers both a historical perspective and a deeply human story, making it a compelling and resonant read.
April 21, 2026
I know next to nothing about Colombia’s civil war, the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, etc. so I was very curious to read about it. Am unfamiliar with the author, so I had no idea what I was getting into. Weaving in between the greater backdrop of La Violencia and her own family's turmoil, author Ramírez shows us how the upheaval and violence affected her family and the consequences of it.
Ramírez tells us of how her family participated (or didn't) plus bits and pieces of the greater historical events going around them. As the book moves forward, occasionally taking leaps in years ahead, we also see how this impacts her family from the political, social, economic, etc. impacts. And through it all, it is the story of a family, particularly of her grandmother, Esther.
Overall I found this to be a mixed bag. I thought this would be more of the history of La Violencia but do admit to getting lost admits the names, events, etc. I was also a little disappointed at how much the book shifted to her own family memoir as I had personally hoped this would be a wider history of the conflict. But Ramírez is a compelling writer and I was definitely hooked on seeing how Esther survived the conflict, an unfaithful husband, family drama (not everyone in the family wanted this story to be told, according to Ramírez's afterword), etc.
I do overall recommend it overall. It is interesting and having family histories like this are often lost in greater conflicts. Just keep in mind that it is more of a memoir about her family during this period of time rather than a look at the larger events happening around them. And keep in mind that there is obviously quite a bit of violence given the history she's covering, although not gruesome or overly detailed. 3.5 stars but bumping it up to 4.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
Ramírez tells us of how her family participated (or didn't) plus bits and pieces of the greater historical events going around them. As the book moves forward, occasionally taking leaps in years ahead, we also see how this impacts her family from the political, social, economic, etc. impacts. And through it all, it is the story of a family, particularly of her grandmother, Esther.
Overall I found this to be a mixed bag. I thought this would be more of the history of La Violencia but do admit to getting lost admits the names, events, etc. I was also a little disappointed at how much the book shifted to her own family memoir as I had personally hoped this would be a wider history of the conflict. But Ramírez is a compelling writer and I was definitely hooked on seeing how Esther survived the conflict, an unfaithful husband, family drama (not everyone in the family wanted this story to be told, according to Ramírez's afterword), etc.
I do overall recommend it overall. It is interesting and having family histories like this are often lost in greater conflicts. Just keep in mind that it is more of a memoir about her family during this period of time rather than a look at the larger events happening around them. And keep in mind that there is obviously quite a bit of violence given the history she's covering, although not gruesome or overly detailed. 3.5 stars but bumping it up to 4.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
April 17, 2026
The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War
Adriana E. Ramírez
Ramírez enveloped me with the perspective of someone eager to tell many versions of the truth. History is funny in the way that everyone has a slightly different recollection of it. Told from the memories of people in her family and from people like her family that were deeply invested in the political and social sphere of Colombia.
Like many nations filled with the have and have nots, tensions remain high. Whenever it appears that someone has the best intentions, it fails in the pursuit to bring a nation together. With so much bloodshed between neighbors, could there ever be true peace? It’s a shame how America’s involvement is never used to justify our impact.
By way of cataloging her grandmothers life, it’s a window to the limitations she faced as a woman, daughter, wife, mother and landowner. She really didn’t have the privilege to aspire to be someone outside of what was expected of her. She preserved the inheritance of her children and grandchildren. They had opportunities that she was not afforded. She was dutiful in every aspect of her life.
The inclusion of accounts of people outside of Ramírez’s familial reach, created a more robust understanding of life, loss and evolution.
#scribner #simonschuster #adrianaeramirez #readandtellwithshantel #ARC
*I did purchase the audiobook. It proved useful for me to have the author read her own words.
Adriana E. Ramírez
Ramírez enveloped me with the perspective of someone eager to tell many versions of the truth. History is funny in the way that everyone has a slightly different recollection of it. Told from the memories of people in her family and from people like her family that were deeply invested in the political and social sphere of Colombia.
Like many nations filled with the have and have nots, tensions remain high. Whenever it appears that someone has the best intentions, it fails in the pursuit to bring a nation together. With so much bloodshed between neighbors, could there ever be true peace? It’s a shame how America’s involvement is never used to justify our impact.
By way of cataloging her grandmothers life, it’s a window to the limitations she faced as a woman, daughter, wife, mother and landowner. She really didn’t have the privilege to aspire to be someone outside of what was expected of her. She preserved the inheritance of her children and grandchildren. They had opportunities that she was not afforded. She was dutiful in every aspect of her life.
The inclusion of accounts of people outside of Ramírez’s familial reach, created a more robust understanding of life, loss and evolution.
#scribner #simonschuster #adrianaeramirez #readandtellwithshantel #ARC
*I did purchase the audiobook. It proved useful for me to have the author read her own words.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a powerful, haunting memoir of a family experiencing the disruptions of civil war, drug cartels and US infringement into her family’s country, Columba. It’s also a gruesome read so be prepared for murders, rapes and other dark events.
The book begins in 1948 and ends in 2024. We see Columbia at the beginning of its civil war due to the assassination of the liberal Jorge Gaitán. The civil raged to around 1954. Esther Angarita Sarmiento, the author’s grandmother is 20 and her life changes immeasurably. Additionally we see how in this Catholic country, women sacrifice their personal identities for wife/motherhood. The book moves on the highlight the effect of American intrusion in Columbia during the Johnson Administration when it sold weapons to Columbia instead civil strife because of Communism all based on the fear of godlessness, as if Christianity shows a better way.
This is also a familial memoir. We see how the they strive to stay alive, fit in, secure their property during these tumultuous times. It must have been harrowing and exhausting. I was also struck by how the family itself had church records burnt in an attempt to erase their presence.
The author writes “Columbia is a land of many truths.” Her family’s story is one of these. Like all stories in life, endurance and resilience is at the heart-bed of survival. And indeed this family survived. Though this was an emotional read, I learned a lot about Columbia and its people and history. I am grateful for that.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read this ARC
The book begins in 1948 and ends in 2024. We see Columbia at the beginning of its civil war due to the assassination of the liberal Jorge Gaitán. The civil raged to around 1954. Esther Angarita Sarmiento, the author’s grandmother is 20 and her life changes immeasurably. Additionally we see how in this Catholic country, women sacrifice their personal identities for wife/motherhood. The book moves on the highlight the effect of American intrusion in Columbia during the Johnson Administration when it sold weapons to Columbia instead civil strife because of Communism all based on the fear of godlessness, as if Christianity shows a better way.
This is also a familial memoir. We see how the they strive to stay alive, fit in, secure their property during these tumultuous times. It must have been harrowing and exhausting. I was also struck by how the family itself had church records burnt in an attempt to erase their presence.
The author writes “Columbia is a land of many truths.” Her family’s story is one of these. Like all stories in life, endurance and resilience is at the heart-bed of survival. And indeed this family survived. Though this was an emotional read, I learned a lot about Columbia and its people and history. I am grateful for that.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read this ARC
May 4, 2026
Gutting. Adriana Ramírez weaves Colombia's decades of civil war with her family's own personal history of growing up inland. In doing so, she paints a picture of a whole country in upheaval and makes it feel intimate and personal. Nonfiction books that center around war or violence can feel distant in their depiction, whereas The Violence depicts the destruction not in death toll, but in terms of immeasurable grief and trauma. History and politics are personal; none of the people in Adriana's family narrative have personally interacted with Pablo Escobar, yet the hurricane in which he was often the eye swept everybody in their wake of destruction.
Where the book really shines are the moments where Adriana uses her grandmother's story as a lens for examining the human toll of the violence, not in terms of casualties but how real people suffered under the merciless pall of violence, either directly or indirectly. She storytells in a way that is captivating and makes you feel the heaviness of carrying grief (both that of Esther and the country as a collective). Like grief, The Violence grips you when you least expect.
Where the book really shines are the moments where Adriana uses her grandmother's story as a lens for examining the human toll of the violence, not in terms of casualties but how real people suffered under the merciless pall of violence, either directly or indirectly. She storytells in a way that is captivating and makes you feel the heaviness of carrying grief (both that of Esther and the country as a collective). Like grief, The Violence grips you when you least expect.
May 4, 2026
A rich, lyrical family chronicle woven with 20th century Colombian history. The author begins (rather smartly in my opinion) with a caveat about the nature of truth in historical and personal accounts, a line that I believe all historical nonfiction walks to some degree, but often with less care and consideration than here. With that done, we enter a wonderfully rendered landscape peopled with all sorts of interesting characters. The storytelling is evocative and charming, and you grow to care for many of these people. I particularly liked the intermingling of historic events and personal narratives unrelated to main family thread in all but the most basic of ways. It expands the scope of the book to be not just one family's personal and political saga, but a tale of a particular time in Colombian history more broadly. This is a genuine, honest, open, loving account that manages to never steer into sentimentality or overt bias beyond what the subjects believed. 4.75 stars rounded up to 5.
May 6, 2026
The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War is a powerful and deeply personal account of the devastating effects of political conflict and violence in Colombia. Through the lens of family history, the author provides readers with an emotional and eye-opening perspective on how war, fear, and instability shape generations of people. The memoir is both historical and intimate, blending real events with personal memories in a way that makes the story feel authentic and compelling. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to humanize a complex political conflict by focusing on the experiences of ordinary individuals caught in extraordinary circumstances. The writing is vivid and emotional, allowing readers to feel the tension, grief, and resilience of the family throughout the narrative. At the same time, the book offers important cultural and historical insight into Colombia’s turbulent past. Overall, this memoir is heartbreaking, informative, and memorable, making it an impactful read for anyone interested in history, family stories, or political conflict.
April 25, 2026
The Violence: My Family's Colombian War is a powerful and deeply personal blend of memoir and historical narrative that examines Colombia’s long descent into civil conflict.
Adriana E. Ramírez grounds the broader history of la violencia in the lived experience of her family, offering a perspective that is both intimate and historically expansive. The aftermath of the Jorge Eliécer Gaitán assassination serves as a pivotal starting point, shaping the political and social instability that follows.
The book’s strength lies in its ability to weave macrohistory with personal memory, particularly through the figure of Esther and the family’s rural finca. This structure allows the reader to experience political violence not as abstraction, but as a sustained presence in everyday life.
Lyrical, rigorous, and emotionally resonant, The Violence is a standout work of narrative nonfiction that will appeal to readers of history, memoir, and political storytelling rooted in lived experience.
Adriana E. Ramírez grounds the broader history of la violencia in the lived experience of her family, offering a perspective that is both intimate and historically expansive. The aftermath of the Jorge Eliécer Gaitán assassination serves as a pivotal starting point, shaping the political and social instability that follows.
The book’s strength lies in its ability to weave macrohistory with personal memory, particularly through the figure of Esther and the family’s rural finca. This structure allows the reader to experience political violence not as abstraction, but as a sustained presence in everyday life.
Lyrical, rigorous, and emotionally resonant, The Violence is a standout work of narrative nonfiction that will appeal to readers of history, memoir, and political storytelling rooted in lived experience.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
THE VIOLENCE: MY FAMILY'S COLOMBIAN WAR, print - The Violence known as la violencia began with a political assassination in 1948. Ms. Ramirez explains the decades long civil war through the eyes of her grandmother as the senseless violence dominates the country. It is hard for me to give a review without turning it into a book report. Because of the intensity of the contents of the book, I had to stop reading and come back later. I'm not a wimp when it comes to reading this type of non-fiction but the author did an excellent job conveying the intensity of the emotions, the events, and personality of her grandmother. Source: Mark Galarrita of Simon & Schuster. Thank you, Mr. Galarrita. 5*
December 22, 2025
This is a difficult story to convey in an accessible way. It focuses on the author's grandmother and the many siblings and offspring that add to the story of a brutal civil war that never seems to end. I occasionally had to stop for a deep breath before continuing, but it was worth it.
Survival with the slimmest of margins for error powerfully told.
Survival with the slimmest of margins for error powerfully told.
April 15, 2026
‘Even blood cannot forgive.’
‘He believed that love was more revolutionary than violence.’
This is simply an amazing of not only Columbia in the midst of a civil war, but the intimate look at the period through the life of the author’s own grandmother. Esther would definitely be proud of this stellar work.
‘He believed that love was more revolutionary than violence.’
This is simply an amazing of not only Columbia in the midst of a civil war, but the intimate look at the period through the life of the author’s own grandmother. Esther would definitely be proud of this stellar work.
April 24, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Angarita and Rueda families and their lives in Columbia. I thought it was a well balanced mix of family experiences interwoven with Columbian history. Who could grasp the far-reaching affects of politics, guerrilla warfare and drug cartels on the people of Columbia? Well written!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a truly impactful read. While the format wasn't my favorite - I found the narrative really disjointed, it didn't take much away from the heart of the story. This is a moving story about family and war and healing and love.
This is a truly impactful read. While the format wasn't my favorite - I found the narrative really disjointed, it didn't take much away from the heart of the story. This is a moving story about family and war and healing and love.
May 10, 2026
This book delicately captures Colombia’s beauty and pain in an invaluable way for a daughter of Colombian immigrants like myself. Thank you, Adriana, for teaching me about my parent’s homeland through such a beautifully written book 🥹🇨🇴
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