The Book of Mev

by Mark Chmiel

The Book of Mev is the story of Mev Puleo, an American photojournalist and young Catholic who actively confronted a world of injustice, poverty and violence. From witnessing homelessness in the United States to struggles for social change in Haiti, El Salvador, and Brazil, Puleo used photography and interviews to be a bridge between poverty and affluence, the First World and the Third World. Puleo's familiarity with suffering, however, was dramatically intensified when she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at the age of thirty-one. She died twenty-one months later.

Genres: Faith, Memoir, Nonfiction, Social Justice

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Cappy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so compelling that it is hard to put down and so heartrending that you'll wish it was fiction.

"It was love at first laugh." (pg. 21)

"I also wrote a note of thanks to her for her presentation, and I pinned the note and poem for her on the community bulletin board. This was safe, spiritual flirting." (pg. 24)

Consider the ways in which "most of us have just such a list of relational sinw qua nons but not always the temerity to announce it publicaly, at least when sober." (pg. 35)

"She'd be great simply to hold hands with." (pg. 38)

Consider Mev Puleo's thought that "some of the most influential people in my life have been teachers, scholars, and writers. Intellectuals." (pg. 42)

"It is so easy to fall in love...Staying in love is rare." (pg. 45)

Consider Irving Greenberg's epigram: "No statement, theological or otherwise, should be made that would not be credible in the presence of the burning children." (pg. 50)

Consider Elie Wiesel's thought that "as surely as the victims [of the Holocaust:] are a problem for the Jews, the killers are a problem for the Christians." (pg. 51)

"Sobrino told Mev that the world didn't just need liberation theologians but also needed liberation accountants, architects, writers. And photographers." (pg. 54)

Consider Mev Puleo's thought that "the more intentional artists are in how we use our media, the less likely our work will be manipulated to serve other people's intentions." (pg. 57)

Consider Mev Puleo's words:
"the poor do not grow
accustomed to this stuff
they just don't have a student I.D. or a passport out" (pg. 80)

"It was at this same time that she and I pioneered for ourselves a form of mediation we labeled 'kissering': We would kiss for 15 minutes, but it would be slow, calm, deep, respectful; then we'd pause, behold each other, and them maybe kiss some more. Kissering was present moment, ah, wonderful moment." (98)

"How to hold onto the Bible when your own experience seems to overwhelm, if not negate, its relevance or meaning." (pg. 115)

"A Jewish theology based on the Holocaust had difficulty seeing the history of the Middle East from the perspective of the victims of Zionism, the Palestinians." (pg. 118)

Consider Sheri Hostetler's poem on being a "Spiritual Warrior":
"I learned yesterday words liek 'artist' and 'writer' are not
violet and blue silk scarves but steel edges that cut
I must be a spiritual warrior who can heal self-inflicted wounds" (pg. 125)

Consider Maria Goreth Barradas' thought that "I'm no one, just a human being with a heart...I work for the love of people who suffer, especially children. When you work for money alone, love doesn't exist." (pg. 129)

Consider Carlos Mesters' thought that "without integration of the personal and the social, we won't be full persons. We may start at different points, but we arrive together. The stuggle is one." (pg. 139)

Consider Lori Altmann's thought that "to be in solidarity with the poor we didn't have to give up everything or stop being who we were. I'll always be middle-class, even if I lower my salary. We're middle-class by the very way we understand society, our level of education, our access to persons and power. We can't deny our own history!" (pg. 141)

Consider Ivone Gebara's thought that "truly I've learned more theology in poor neighborhoods than in classrooms. At times I wonder if the questions of traditional theology have any meaning for the poor. And 'the poor' here means eighty percent of the population!" (pg. 143)

Consdier Pedro Casaldaliga's thought that "consumerism, by definition, consumes humanity. It comsumes freedom of spirit and creates insatiable appetitites...We end up being well-fed, but empty within." (pg. 145)

Consider Rosa Puleo's warning to her teenage granddaughter: "Men are fire!" (pg. 154)

"For all the differences in culture and status - we humans are so alike when we die! All the money, medicine and technology in the world cannot save us from the fear, the sadness and the loneliness." (pg. 156)

"Our white skins protect us from the ravages inflicted on the natives by the military our government funds so lavishly." (pg. 181)

Consider Ann Manganaro's thought that "this must happen to everyone in the war. You gear yourself up to just move on. It's no wonder people suffer from post-traumatic stress - you store up a lot of experiences that you don't adequately mourn or grieve or even feel!" (pg. 184)

Consider Ann Manganaro's thought that "there's a tendency to lose your human vulnerability and responsiveness for those tragediesand become, not just hardened as in bitter or cynical, but aloof, or your compassion becoming an automatic response where you can be kind, but you are on automatic pilot, not from the heart, becuase if you let all that tragedy touch you, you might just fall apart." (pg. 184-185)

Consider George Steiner's line: "I'm at home anywhere I have a desk." (pg. 206)

Consider Mev Puleo's thought that "conversion comes throug the grace of relationships." (pg. 210)

Consider Mev Puleo's thought that the papacy "is too much power for any individual to have. And if an individual has that much power, they should use it to be more prophetic. To denounce and announce." (pg. 211)

Consider Mev Puleo's belief that "the structure [of the Vatican:] is a real impediment to [the Pope's:] holiness! Surrounded by men, power, prestige, etc." (pg. 212)

Consider Mev Puleo's belief that "this is my church, and I am of this church. I will not relinquish it to 'those I disagree with,' nor will I close myself off to a respectful dialogue with them. Moreover, I am extremely grateful for all the church has done for me." (pg. 213)

Consider Chmiel's description of Noam Chomsky as something of a Promethean figure, one who tries to make academic thought more accessible. (pg. 243)

Consider Leonardo Boff's thought that "Theology alone doesn't convince anyone." (pg. 267)

Consider Mev Puleo's insight that "people don't speak in paragraphs or outlines." (pg. 268)

Consider the way in which "disarmament is the necessary first step to Christ's Jubilee." (pg. 279)

Consider Nora Archer's though that "love is attention." (pg. 285)

Consider Nora Archer's question: "Do I struggle for that which I rightly desire and consider worthwhile, or instead, vainly struggle for something else?" (pg. 288)

Consider Nora Archer's thought about "how frustrating that such good people have such hardship and they are taken away from us when it seems the world needs them the most." (pg. 288)

Consider Nora Archer's thought that "injustice is incomprehensible." (pg. 289)

"You can come sit and be powerless like the rest of us." (pg. 305)

"A thing of beauty is a joy for a few weeks." (pg. 314)

Consider Mev Puleo's thought that "Jesus didn't die to save us from suffering - he died to teach us how to suffer, to be with us in our every anguish and agony, to give meaning to our pain." (pg. 327)

"So many middle-class, educated people presume there's such a huge gulf between themselves and people who live on the street or in shelters." (pg. 348)

Consider Elizabeth Madden's words:
"and when i felt
the gentle giggle
falling me awake
i laughed.
because I thought if God was so smart
God would have come up with a better plan
than me"
(pg. 350)

Consider Angie O'Gorman's words:
"We will honor Mev best not by our grieving - although we will grieve for a long time to come - nor with tributes and awards, although she will receive many. We will honor Mev best by taking her life seriously and allowing her passion for justice and her commitment to the God who struggles with us to become our own." (pg. 357)

Consider Kathy Kelly's observation that "many of us westerners can live well, continue 'having it all,' if we only agree to avert our gaze, to look the other way, to politely not notice that in order to maintain our overconsumptive lifestyles, our political leaders tolerate child sacrifice." (pg. 360)

Consider Kathy Kelly's rhetorical question: "Is it outlandish to think that courage, wisdom and love could inform the formation of foreign and domestic policy?" (pg. 362)

"I am going [to Palestine:] to celebrate the ordinary miracle of falafel sadwiches...I am going because Bono hasn't gone yet." (pg. 369)

[Eric Lomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving and heartbreaking tribute to Mev, the authors wife and source of much inspiration. The narrative is unique in the form of reflection, prayers, and journal entries. So much to consider and learn from in these pages. Very interesting to read years later after so much has changed in the world. Thanks to the author for his vulnerability and sharing.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skulls, then why do we read it? ... What we must have are those books that come on us like ill-fortune, like the death of one we love better than ourselves, like suicide. A book must be an ax to break the sea frozen inside us." -Mark Chmiel

I am speechless at this marvelous tribute to Mev's life, written by her husband Mark. I am not a woman of words, and I don't think a review can encapsulate the deep emotions I felt at this book. Never in my life have I sat, read, and wept sorrowfully at someone's story.

The Book of Mev is a true account of a woman named Mev, a social justice warrior who committed her life to being a bridge of solidarity between the first world and the third world, to bring to the rich and understanding the life of the poor, especially in Latin America using photojournalism. This book was recommended to me by a good friend of mine, and I'm so glad she recommended this to me; this book changed my life and gave me a deeper understanding to the life I lived as a volunteer on the margins accompanying the poor in Latin America. This book was extremely powerful, and I believe it evoked this emotions in me because I identify so strongly with Mev's experiences, beliefs, and character. Reading this book made me understand a lot of what I believe about giving my life to the poor, and trying to relate to others in the first world my experiences and the truth of injustices in Latin America.

If you are even remotely interested in learning about the Church, the poor, social justice and solidarity in Latin America, this is a must-read. I encourage any person wrestling with the bounds / battling the definition of academic liberation theology to read this. Mev's life is a beautiful and meaningful witness what it means that Jesus liberates the poor, and we in turn are liberated by the poor. Give The Book of Mev a chance to unharden your heart of the inner conflict you may have with an academic understanding of liberation theology... Mev's experience with the poor and the marginalized is a testimony of liberation theology in action, an action of true love. This book is so raw, authentic and vulnerable, that led me to tears like never before by reading a story.

I strongly believe that I did not randomly read this book. God through the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways and I know for a fact this book and the story of Mev's journey fell into my lap for a reason.

[Rob Callus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge favorite of mine - Mev is an incredible example of someone who operated within the Church and actively condemned the atrocities it perpetuated, but did so with such vigor and effectiveness. I think I struggle with Mark being the author of this and telling her story in some of the particularly graphic parts, who is to say what parts of her stories she would have wanted shared? But I think Mev's story is one worth telling all the same.

[Sophie Snider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Peak gave me this book and said, "you'll love it, it's a social justice love story." I want to be Mev Puleo and her widower Mark captures her fire in the most loving, heartfelt manner.

[James Millikan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Mev covers a lot of ground in its 374 pages. At times it is a journal of relentless pursuit of social justice; at times it is a love story of two people brought together by that shared commitment to meeting the needs of the underserved and giving voice to the voiceless; at times it is an immersion into the worldview of profound social activists--linking together common threads from wide-ranging thinkers including Chomsky, Thich Nhat Han, Day, Gustavo Gutierrez, and Wiesel; and at times it is a moving and heartbreaking portrayal of loss and suffering.

This account of the life of Mev progresses in short vignettes, interviews, poems, and photos, which give the book a candid character that is very refreshing. The intellectual richness of the text is very real, and these stirring and insightful reflections are presented in a style and syntax that is clear and easily digestible. This book can be read in chucks over a long period of time without losing narrative flow.

There is a great deal of wisdom, call to action, and commentary on justice in this book, but I found the greatest source of inspiration to be the lives of Mev and her husband Mark. These are individuals who are deeply committed to the needs of others, but who are themselves not without challenges and imperfections. Through the obstacles of their lives, this book gives a portrait of two people who "Exuded life and brought forth life in abundance." If you read this book, you may just find that you will do the same; it is hard not to be stirred to be more full of life after having read the prophetic witness of the characters in this remarkable book.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was outstanding: beautifully written, often deeply moving, incredibly expressive of the remarkable life that Mev led and shared for the sake of so many people all around her. I read the book while on retreat, and it was a wonderful complement to some reflections on the truly important things in life, the rewards of selfless generosity, the important of life-giving relationships of trust and love, and being able to value all of the gifts, challenges, people, and growth one encounters. The book definitely has me thinking about how to renew my efforts in teaching, my attention to friendships, and my courage to dream and dare in the coming year, in order to live life as fully as I can. Quite inspirational, but also a very down-to-earth, very human, story of a wonderful life.

[Lubna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book & highly recommend it to all, especially those committed to social justice. If you ever feel in need of inspiration or energy, reading this book will give it to you. It's thought-provoking, inspirational, funny, and also sad. "The Book of Mev" is about a young woman committed to social justice & I was very inspired by her commitment to the oppressed and poor around us. This book though is more than just about social justice, its also about love - the love between two young, vibrant people. This book made me smile, cry, sigh and inspired me so much. Read this book!

[Katherine Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book deals a lot with social justice and Mark and Mev's theology studies. For those interested in Catholic liberation theology and Latin America, it will be good reading. I liked it but was much more taken by the second half, which becomes a very personal account of Mev's struggle with a brain tumor and her husband's (the author's) very frank account of his experience through this time. It is incredibly moving.

[Alicia Donner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chance to encounter a woman of faith, purpose and life - who's journey on this earth was cut too short. Her courage and vitality in the face of life's day to day challenges - as well as the illness that eventually took her life - inspire me. As does the strength of those who were left behind to keep carrying on her message without her.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story, although slow-moving at times, is a wholesome read. I think part of my interest in it is that I've met and had lunch with Mark Chmiel. He was an inspiring person, and he wants nothing more than to pass on his wife's passion for life and for humankind.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great true love story and a great true living story. I couldn't stop crying at some points and laughing at others.

[Andrew]

This book reaches a depth of feelings that is only made possible by Chmiel's willingness to venture into his emotions and thoughts uncensored, sharing an intimacy that we often hide from.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. One of my favorite books.

[Kathleen Arwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by my Social Justice professor from St. Louis University. The story of Mev's life is one of eloquence, tragedy, and triumph. Loved every page of it.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really moving - a brave story about social justice, love of one's lifetime, and impermance.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you want to be inspired by a life, read this book.