Erased Faces: A Novel

by Graciela Limón

Against the charred tapestry of the Zapatista guerilla uprising of January 1994, personal histories intersect in the newest novel by Graciela Limón. Weaving the theads of Lacandón myth and history with the events culminating in the guerilla uprising, Limón creates a rich fabric that restores an identity of those rendered invisible, or whose faces were erased, by years of oppression.

Adriana Mora, a Latina photojournalist born and raised in Los Angeles, haunted by childhood memories of her parents' death, abuse and displacement, journeys south to Chiapas, Mexico, in search of images to record on film. Mora's path crosses that of Chan K'in, the aged Lacandón shaman and interpreter of his people's mysticism. His stories recount the heroism of indigenous peoples of the past and offers possible keys to the resolution of the nightmares that plague her.

In this village, Adriana meets Juana Galvez, a woman whose own heroism mirrors that of the women that Chan K'in describes. Adriana is immediately attracted to the small indigenous woman and her cause, so she follows Juana into the mountains where she is drawn into the tumultuous events of 1994 and the stories of the insurgents who fight for freedom.

Erased Faces portrays forbidden love set against the backdrop of a complicated war. Limón expertly drafts images of the racism, exploitation, and class division that plague the region and the lengths that the impoverished indigenous people take to break the yoke of universal oppression that rests heavy on their shoulders.

Genres: Fiction

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Graciela Limón is the author of eight widely read novels: In Search of Bernabé, The Memories of Ana Calderón, The Song of the Hummingbird, Day of the Moon, Erased Faces, Left Alive, The River Flows North and The Madness of Mamá Carlota. Her writing has received reviews from Publishers Weekly, library Journals and scholarly journals. The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Houston Chronicle and other leading newspapers have reviewed her work, as well as several anthologies. She was the recipient of the prestigious award for U.S. Literature: The Luis Leal Literary Award. The Los Angeles Times listed her as a notable writer for the year 1993. The Life of Ximena Godoy is due to be published in the spring of 2015. Graciela was born in Los Angeles, California, where she has resided until recently relocating to Simi Valley, California. Los Angeles plays a major role in many of her novels.

Reviews

[Yaotl Nenetl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing work!! I would give it 10 stars, this book is super accessible, I smelled every scent described, this book reminded me of all the little things I miss of Mexico y mi cultura y la oppression de mujeres.

People here are snobby and say they've been spoiled by better writers, those are the ones who miss the fundamental revolutionary perspective of mujeres writing, mujeres thinking, this book is a revolutionary book & it's good to read w youth

[emily gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erased Faces was a book that, sadly, did not make it onto my professor's syllabus. I, however, decided to read it anyway because the summary instantly hooked me because there is a sapphic romance. As a Latina reader, I love seeing Latina authors explore a variety of identities and races that exist within the same ethnicity and thought this book did an amazing job captivating this plethora of stories through multiple pov's!
I particularly enjoyed how Juana and Adriana mirrored powerful, revolutionary women that fought for freedom in past lifetimes and how their love and desire to find each other transcended even the bonds of death. Orlando's story also made me incredibly melancholic, but it was powerful to see how even someone who was regarded as "uneducated" or less than because he was a servant at the mercy of the patrón was able to become a rousing orator. Juana's death made me incredibly sad for Adriana, but I loved the ending taking on the form of a biography or snapshot synopsis..
Would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the long-term effects of exploitive, colonial capitalism in Latin America.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a god awful book, I don't know if I can read another book assigned by this teacher. The author wrote it and wanted to turn the book into a soap opera/telenovela and it really really shows. Everything is dramatized and parts are romanticized where violence is unnecessarily accounted in detail. Romance is focused in a way that detracts and literally adds nothing, and this is me talking about a wlw relationship so that says something. Really really awful book, I am too tired to say more.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve actually been waiting for novels dealing with the uprising of the EZLN—and it appears that I’ve missed them. I found this novel on accident at the library, and, oh, it is great. The main character experienced the murder-suicide of her Mexican parents and floated through foster homes. We find this out through the recollections of her adult self as she works as a photographer aiming to take pictures of native women in Chiapas. While there, she is drawn into the guerrilla group that would become the EZLN. History comes alive through magic-realist connection as various characters have their stories told in the lead up to the rebellion of January 1, 1994. Once I got into this, I was hooked on this historical/fictional love story of exploitation and rebellion. Recommended.

[Deanna Shelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was slated to come out the same month as 9/11 and the unfortunate subject matter -- that of female terrorists in Chiapas caused this book not to be as widely acclaimed as Limon's previous works. Her courage in research was again rewarded with a gripping text. SHe visited these "terrorists" offer her very realistic protrait of female guerrillas ,. SHe demonstrates their absolute necessity to weild violence to find a way out of impossible situations.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

her language is very plain. i've been spoiled by better writers.

[Deanna Shelor]

Limon was finishing this book when I interviewed her in 1999. It is deeply moving and evocative of the plight of indigenous mexican people.

[Soccerlover9298 · Rating 5 out of 5]

a testament to modern civil war... it is amazing how the world is full of war and genocide and we walk around completely unaware and uninformed.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

study of survival - emotional, sexual, instinctual - and the relationships between women in non-1st world, 'modern' culture.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Invoked curiosity regarding the repeating of lives theory, though not a new concept.

[Pitie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, what a journey.