Graciela: One Woman's Story of War, Survival, and Perseverance in the Peruvian Andes

by Nicole Coffey Kellett, Graciela Orihuela Rocha (Primary Contributor)

Graciela chronicles the life of a Quechua-speaking Indigenous woman in the remote Andean highlands during the war in Peru that killed seventy thousand people and displaced hundreds of thousands more in the 1980s and 1990s. The book traces her early years as a young child living in an epicenter of violence to her contemporary life as a postwar survivor. Graciela Orihuela Rocha's history embodies the horrors, injustices, promises, and challenges faced by countless individuals who endured and survived the war. Her story provides intimate insights into deep-seated divisions within Peruvian society that center around skin color, gender, language, and ties to the land. These fault lines have endured to the present day, fostering discontent and violence in Peru.

Through Graciela's story we not only learn of trauma and dehumanization but also resilience, strength, and perseverance. Graciela's history provides insight into the systemic challenges of determining truth, implementing justice, and envisioning reconciliation in a country where calls for equality and justice remain unrealized for the most marginalized.

308 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2022

Reviews

[Jeff Wickham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Graciela is the story you never knew you needed to know. In this no holds barred work of epic proportion you get biography, history, culture, tragedy, and love. Through language and geographical barriers, the authors craft a profound story of Peruvian life from the 1980’s to today. Let yourself get lost in this experience of life before, during, and after the war that tore apart the Peruvian people. Let yourself experience the life, the trauma, the resilience, and the love of Graciela Orihuela Rocha. 5 stars – Highly Recommend!