Motherland

by Paula Ramón, Jennifer Shyue (Translator)

From Venezuelan reporter Paula Ramón comes a powerful memoir about one woman’s complicated relationship with her family as her beloved homeland collapses into ruin. In the span of a generation, oil-rich Venezuela spiraled into a dire state of economic collapse. Reporter Paula Ramón experienced the crisis firsthand as her middle-class family saw their quality of life deteriorate. Public services no longer functioned. Money lost its value. Her mother couldn’t afford to buy food, which was increasingly scarce. The once-prosperous country fell into ruin. Like many others, Ramón’s family struggled to survive each day in their beloved city, Maracaibo—until, one by one, they each made the unbearable choice to leave the home they love. In the end, it was Ramón’s mother, a widow, who stayed behind, loyal to the only home she’d ever known. In this heartbreaking mix of lived experience, family chronicle, and journalistic essay, Paula Ramón explores the anguish of her own relationships set against the staggering collapse of a country. Motherland is a uniquely human account about the ties that bind—and the fragile concept of home.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Biography Memoir, Biography

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2020

Reviews

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

People often joke about Zimbabwe’s $100,000,000,000,000 (it’s like spelling Mississippi) note, or make clever comments about the parallels between Venezuela and Zimbabwe—but these jokers and commenters do that rather at the expense of real people, of real lives ruined be economic catastrophe. It’s like being caught up in a war, but without the world’s empathy. Instead, citizens are shamed, scorned, mocked—somehow taking the blame for authoritarian leaders’ failed policies. I know, because I lived it, and still do.

I feel that shame in Ramón’s account—and who better to understand what Venezuelans went through (apart from other Venezuelans) than a Zimbabwean? Because the parallels between our experiences are frightening. I realised, towards the end of the book, how much of my own trauma I was reliving. Like Ramón, I was lucky: I had a university education, and I managed to leave—so I was able to help support my family from outside the country. Although I came back home just before the worst of it (2007-8), my savings may have saved our lives. I experienced or watched happen to the people around me all of the terrible things that Ramón relates: lost savings, pensions, property; a broken healthcare system leading to deaths and disability. Starvation, empty supermarkets. The black market for everything: food, even cash. How incredibly far a tiny amount of forex could go, and people working a whole month to earn enough to buy a loaf of bread. Queues for basic foodstuffs—sugar, maize meal—with no guarantees. (Milk and margarine were a fantasy; we once baked scones without.) Shopping across the border if you wanted to get anything. I even travelled in the back of a private truck between cities, and also over a border, because public transport was a dream—no fuel anywhere. Absolute desperation. And the toll on one’s mental health? Incalculable.

So, this book hit me on so many painful levels. Ramón‘s experience is my own, and personal. It’s that of so many Zimbabweans, and, from her account, many Venezuelans. Her brothers’ experiences as less well-educated migrant workers are the experiences of my cousins, and so many fellow Zimbabweans. In that, I am an unusual reader; perhaps this memoir may have less appeal to people who haven’t lived through this. But we can always all bear witness, stand in solidarity, and learn something when fellow humans suffer. And if it’s not you or yours today, tomorrow it may well be: nothing on this troubled planet is ever perfectly secure.

Thank you to Amazon Crossing and to NetGalley for access.

[Danielle | Dogmombookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOTHERLAND |


A journalist's memoir of growing up in Venezuela under multiple coups, the years of Chavez, and even after her departure in the years post Chavez but still Chavismo with Maduro.

Learning more about the economic and political turmoil in the aftermath of Venezuela's oil boom of the 70's, through the nationalization of oil, the devaluation of the bolivar, to the nationalization of banks, telecoms, power and oil companies, the food industry such that the supply chains were completely broken and the complete devastation that this brought havoc on its citizens.

Then came the expropriations could cease any business or land Chavezwanted as exemplified in this passage, and in 2 minutes expropriates multiple properties:

"What about this building?"
"Private jewelry businesses."
"Expropriated! Expropriated!"
"All right."
"And that building on the corner?"
"Commercial spaces."
"expropriated, Mr Mayor! Expropriated! Expropriated!"

And things got worse. Scarcity of food, inflation, devaluation of the Bolivar, beno one had enough. "Food trafficking had replaced drug trafficking because it was more lucrative."

"In 2010, shortly after I left the country, a dollar cost 8 bolivares. 7 years later, in June 2017, it cost $7, 780 bolivares. In December of the same year, $1 cost more than 100,000 bolivares. The escalation was so dizzying that the next year, the government knocked five zeros off the currency."


Chavez, who installed a congressional to rewrite the Constitution so that he could extend his terms of presidency, restart his terms, squash all opposition, and control the media was by and large well supported, as evidenced by our main character's mother. It was only after the possibility of her house being requisitioned did her support falter.

Reading this from the voice of a daughter who had a strained, complex relationship with a mother who prized modest measures/thrifty conservative actions, whose own relationship paralleled many other Venezuelans in the rise and fall of support for a supposed democracy through Chavez, to a decided defector was quite interesting.

I was glad to learn more about Venezuela's history, but in particular from a citizen who lived through it, who is trained in journalism with a complicated relationship to the country, that is inextricably tied to her mother, her family, her memories, and what raised her.


4.5

[Jeanette]

No rating. But I did get 1/2 way through. DNF

The way it is told is jumpy and so threaded within history of Venezuela that it was a difficult read. Too difficult in flux and changes for the author's family for me to embed or context the members. Most especially her Mother or her Mother's illness.

Tragic and filled with so much gushing politico that I couldn't absorb any more.

Group think gone viscous and sadness. Together, they are never a fun read. But this one was also convoluted.

No way would I ever give this prose flow or detailing any more than 3 stars. It's like trying to interpret volatile hysteria for some sections when you are reading this.

I don't remember the title but I've read one other excellent non-fiction upon this country and period/periods of reversals. The story of the 2 last electricians I remember intensely. THAT was a story- especially since most of the water distribution occurs only when electricity is on.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shoutout to Alex for the suggestion of listening to audiobooks while working.
In all honesty, this one was free on Kindle Unlimited and I needed to pick something fast for the drive to work.

It was super interesting to learn about Venezuela’s collapse from someone who actually lived it. In school or on TV, the focus is usually on Colombia or Cuba during the 60s to 90s, so getting a deep dive into Venezuela’s journey from oil-rich developing nation to economic disaster was intriguing.

That said... I thought this was going to be more about life in the country. Instead, it was a lot about life in the author's actual house. Like, the whole “Motherland” title might be less about Venezuela and more about her mother’s land — a.k.a. the family home. If that makes sense :)

Don’t get me wrong, the story is powerful and the family dynamics are real and raw. But after the fifth round of passive-aggressive sibling tension and maternal guilt trips, I found myself wanting more national chaos and less kitchen-table drama.

Still, it was interesting to see how things can fall apart when false promises are made and untrained or unforgiving leadership lets people down.

So if you like geopolitical collapse and family drama, give it a go!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Alesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an excellent explanation of the current situation in Venezuela, and how a nation can go from great prosperity to utter chaos and poverty in a few short decades. The author is a skilled journalist who details the rise of Hugo Chavez, and shows the impact of his politics on a middle-class family.

Half of the book, however, focuses on interpersonal relationships within Ramon’s nuclear family, and it gets pretty tiresome. Everyone resents everyone else, it seems. The elderly matriarch, who refuses to leave her home even though she is confined to a wheelchair and has very iffy support from a maid, ekes out support from her three children with guilt and complaints. There’s not a lot of joy or evident love in the family. This makes it hard to wade through the long narratives of in-fighting.

Nevertheless, I kept noticing how the decline of Venezuela mirrored what Jamaica experienced in the 1970’s, when it appeared that the island might be going down the same path. The shortages, increasing violence and financial instability were all-too-familiar.

If you can get past the parts about family dynamics, this book will help explain how a country can become a failed state. It provides a good cautionary tale for our times. How many other nations must go through this demise due to an authoritarian regime? And how many more millions of people will be forced to emigrate because their lives have been made impossible by fear, hunger and hopelessness?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, WOW. When I picked this up I had no idea I’d be so consumed from the first page. Couldn’t help but fly through nearly half the book in one day. Even though I knew a bit of Venezuelan history already, Paula Ramón is a masterful storyteller, and her first-person POV made the facts so visceral I found myself flipping through pages like one usually does reading a thriller. She utilizes her talent as a journalist to imbue just enough of her personal life around the discomforting reality of Chávez’s rise, reign, and ruin. Her family is her focus though, the title a weighty one, alluding not just to Venezuela, but how her mother fought the odds as most of the country were impoverished and she battled immune disorders and chronic pain, she still raised 3 kids, bought and kept a home through the turbulent economic upheavals, and pushed Paula towards a good education. Written with the same kind of beautiful fervor like Nicole Chung’s ode to her parents in A Living Remedy, this is a timely, honest reflection of growing up and away from all you’ve ever known, gaining a perspective the world already had of your home and harnessing it to help the mother who had spent her own life helping you.

[Giovanni García-Fenech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This devastating memoir parallels the decline and collapse of Venezuela with the decline and collapse of the author's family. Utterly heartbreaking.

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a powerful and insightful memoir for #nonfictionnovember, then be sure to pick up a copy of Motherland by Paula Ramón. I found it very eye-opening, moving, and educational. I’ll be completely honest and admit that prior to reading this memoir, I knew very little about Venezuela. I learned so much about the country’s history, economy, and politics from Ramón’s story. The political turmoil that ensued in the aftermath of the country’s oil boom during the 1970’s is absolutely mind-boggling. There was a steep decline in basic living conditions such as food insecurity, limited medical supplies, power cuts, and restricted access to water and gasoline. Living abroad, Ramón struggled to find reliable care and suitable housing for her mother. This resulted in a strained and complicated relationship between Ramón and her family members. My heart broke for Ramón as she tried to keep her mother safe while watching her beloved homeland fall to pieces. Motherland is a very important memoir that you don’t want to miss!

[Morayo]

Thank you Paula Ramón for sharing your story

[Amaya Anzola · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg late review but this book meant so much to me, put feelings I didn't even know I had into words. I love a memoir!!!!

[Antonio Nunez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paula Ramón’s Motherland is a woman’s memoir of what it has been like, living through the last 25 years of Venezuelan history, both personally and through near relations. Paula was the youngest child and only daughter of an idealistic, aging former soldier in the Spanish civil war and Mauthausen prisoner and his much younger, redoubtable common law wife. Between her dreamy, unpractical father and her tough, no-nonsense mother Paula grew up sheltered. Alone among her siblings was she entitled to private school and university education, a matter of contention for her lumpish brothers. Paula was a contrarian, who rebelled against her mother’s expectations by learning to juggle and considering joining a circus, unrealistic by any standard and much more in a Venezuela that was collapsing due to economic mismanagement and a tyrannical dictatorship with more democratic appearances. Her mother pushed her into graduating as a journalist, which allowed her (unlike her brothers and other relations) to work abroad, earn a living and use her earnings to keep her mother alive. There are many books in the events of the Chavista and Madurista decades. This memoir describes what it was like. Although she as abroad much of the time, organizing the logistics to care for a sick, infuriating older woman as a full time job, one that probably cost the author her marriage. With inflation nearly at Weimar Republic levels, the author’s mother thriftiness is a defect, since any money not spent on the day it is obtained, will be worthless within hours. In order to purchase food, one must pay the store employees to let one know when it arrives, because it will be gone in minutes. Renting an apartment is madness, since the tenant is allowed under the law to claim ownership, particularly if the real owner lives abroad. Ramón is able to kick out a freeloader tenant who has not paid rent in years, but not before she rips out the cables from the walls and also all the fixtures. And for good measure she douses in strong glue the door locks so they’ll need to be replaced. Nasty? Sure. This is an undercurrent. Twenty first century socialism, as Chavismo-Madurismo calls itself brings out the worst in people. Everyone is so angry, exhausted and desperate that people don’t wait until someone dies to fight over their belongings and even siblings cheat each other of their inheritance. I must say the unending litany of the author’s disputes with her mother (and admirable but deeply flawed woman) can be rather tiresome. But that’s how she lived it, and it is her life after all. She gets to tell it like she remembers it.

[Jill Dobbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Motherland by Paula Ramon was the first book that I read about Venezuela and its failing economy. I learned about Venezuela from the international news, which didn't ever give the full story. Ramon lived it and wrote with great detail about the lack of food and medicines, the empty store shelves, the scarcity of gas, black market prices, power cuts, and the devaluation of the bolivares. Although she eventually left the country, her mother, whom she helped survive the daily difficulties, still lived there and dealt with a country on the brink of disaster.

The first half of the book was a detailed account of how the country went from being oil-rich to a present-day hell. Ramon wrote about the leadership of Chavez, Maduro, and other presidents who made many promises to the Venezuelans, but never delivered. The population eventually declined and Venezuelans left their country becoming refugees in nearby countries, including the United States.

This is a memoir definitely worth reading. It gave me insight into the Venezuelan people and what they had to do in order to survive in such an unstable country. I especially enjoyed learning about the author's relationship with her parents and brothers, especially her rocky relationship with her mother which prevailed throughout the book.

[Andrea Prieto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began reading this book not knowing what it would really be about but it was clear once I started reading. I would say the first half was very factual and political and as someone who did not know anything about Venezuela it was hard to follow. It was very bouncy in time. I feel like the author could have made it at least more chronological so the reader could follow or make it more simplistic. I will say I enjoyed the second half of the book because it was more personal and emotional connection to her old country. Her perspective was nice to read about; someone who left the country to become better but still attached to it and all its downsides because of the people there (her family). There was not much background about the brothers to really care about them at all. The detail in the relationships she had with both her parents did create that emotional empathy for the writer.
As a child of an immigrant and hearing similar stories and struggles I could put myself in her shoes and feel what she would have felt. I definitely felt pain in parts. But also, shock.
Again, not knowing anything about Venezuela and its history this was informational to me and a shock to read about.
This book definitely motivates me to reach out to my parents and family and ask more questions about their country, their childhoods, their memories.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paula Ramon is a Venezuelan journalist and in this harrowing and deeply fascinating memoir she recounts her relationship with her family and troubled country. Venezuela's story is one of riches to rags and the slow decline of the nation is reflected in the story of just one family, making the headlines so much easier to relate to. Deeply personal but at the same time objective, the book offers an insight into how such a potentially wealthy and successful country descended into chaos. I was vaguely aware of what was happening in the country, but I appreciate the situation so much more now. The book expertly explores what happened – and is still happening – with Ramon’s journalistic skills always to the fore. Although she decided to leave, her stubborn mother refused to, creating so many problems for her beleaguered daughter who was left to care for her ailing mother from a distance. Paula Ramon had the patience of a saint – I’m sure I wouldn’t have been so forbearing. But it is this level of personal detail that makes the book so compelling, and setting the politics against the lives of individuals. Although this is about Venezuela in particular, I felt that the book has a greater relevance and universality, as Venezuela’s plight is that of many failing states in the world today. Highly recommended.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5★

This is a great read for anyone who has ever casually wondered how Venezuela got into its modern predicament, but never took the time to look into it further. The translators have done a good job too.

Although I was engrossed in the book from start to finish, during the first half I found myself pondering whether it was really a memoir, as it was so heavy on the history, politics and economics, with comparatively scant personal/family detail. But I'm glad I pushed through, because all of that context was essential to understand the negative forces at play, leading to the 'disintegration' of the author's family (as the subtitle labels it). The second half was very much the memoir I was hoping for. It was then that the significance of the title became achingly apparent; the first half of the book about the country as the motherland, and the second half about the land of the (author's) mother.

I finished this book feeling much better informed and compassionate towards those involved in the seemingly neverending exodus from one of the most beautiful countries on Earth.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC to read and review.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hit close to home for me. Paula's mom seemed so similar to my own mom, who I also lost to a stroke in May of this year. I remember as a child how my mom tried to move us to Venezuela (from another Latin American country) because it was a land of opportunity and wealth. We ended up here in the US, but that dream always stayed with me, especially seeing the thousands of refugees trying to get out. I thank Paula for communicating how this Venezuelan crisis is affecting countries in the are such as Colombia, Panama, Brazil, etc. It is not just an influx into the U.S. Paula gives a detailed account of Venezuela's economic and political downfall and how it affected her family. It is so sad to know how this is happening in a country so rich in resources. It is also sad to see how this affects families who are going hungry and are victims of crime, being physical such as assault and robbery or emotional such as bribing and blackmailing. One thing, how is Paula's family doing now? It stops in 2018-19, and we don't know what has happened since. How are her brothers? Is their relationship any better? Paula, thank you for sharing your story.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: Motherland
AUTHOR: Paula Ramón
PUB DATE: 10.31.2023 Now Available

Piercing
Poignant
Powerful

I have an awesome book to kick off Nonfiction November with, and it is a well written memoir about the lived experience of a journalist and her home country’s demise. Living through the experience of being hungry and experiencing the political and economic collapse of your beloved nation, is a traumatic experience. I can’t help but draw parallels when my own family had to live through Marshall Law and People Power in Manila when Marcos’ regime was slowly crumbling very much like Chavez’s revolution in Venezuela.

I love reading and learning about the historical backdrop in which Paula Ramón’s family had to live through. Ramón’s writing style really grabbed me in this heart wrenching read.

[Ilda Marcela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Motherland" offers a powerful and humbling journey through the lens of privilege and perspective. As a reader, I found myself deeply impacted by the stark realities portrayed within the pages of this book. Ramon's narrative skillfully draws attention to the profound influence of geographic location on one's life trajectory, prompting readers to reevaluate their own privileges and challenges.

One of the most compelling aspects of "Motherland" is its ability to put personal struggles into a broader context. Through the eyes of the protagonist, readers are confronted with the harsh realities faced by Venezuelans, highlighting the stark disparities that exist in our world. Paula’s portrayal of the struggles endured by the characters serves as a poignant reminder of the privilege that many of us take for granted.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caring for an aging parent is extremely difficult. Imagine having this responsibility while living in another country, while the country your mother refuses to leave is falling apart. The disintegration of Venezuela's economy and thus the day to day lives of the people reads like a post-apocalyptic novel. I did not know much about the history and politics of Venezuela and appreciated the author's succinct telling of the events that led to the country's terrible fall into ruin. The focus then shifts to the author's mother and the frustrations of organising her care from afar, while it is virtually impossible to even buy food and rampant inflation means that money becomes worthless overnight.
Very interesting and heartfelt read.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read how Venezuela, with all its riches, turned into a basket case. The author tells of the impact hyperinflation, a collapse of services and severe food shortages has on her family especially her mother who suffers from a severe arthritic condition. The book is mainly about the fractured relationship between mother and daughter, and between the three siblings.
Overall it was OK, but I felt at times I was reading a series of articles rather than a coherent narrative.

[Peyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is honestly such an incredible explanation of what happened in Venezuela. From an outsider’s perspective, many Americans knew that the people of Venezuela were struggling, but I think many didn’t understand the full count of devastation. The author (and translators) recreated what Venezuela had and currently looks like from the point of view of someone who is Venezuelan at heart.

[Lauren L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was very interesting insight into what modern-day Venezuela is like. I feel like I learned a lot. I would've rated it higher, but it was kind of repetitive. Her repetition about certain things really drove home the point, but it also got a little tiresome. Overall I would recommend.

[Allan Beatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting- educational and somewhat horrifying memoir of living through total collapse of Venezuela. Only drawback was it got rather redundant with conflicts with brothers and mother at the end of the book

[Mary Whisner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoir about growing up in Venezuela, witnessing political turmoil and economic collapse. The author becomes a journalist and marries a Brazilian, living in different countries (China, Brazil, US, and Bolivia) while trying to help her aging and increasingly disabled mother. We don’t read much about her life in the other countries, just the horrible challenges of elder care at a distance with astronomical inflation and crumbling infrastructure. It personalizes some themes: I’ve heard that the Venezuelan economy is in bad shape and that hospitals are closed, but reading about one family’s struggles to get food, health care, and utilities made the headlines more personal. Late in the book, author’s two brothers move to Chile to find work—a small part of the mass migration Venezuela has experienced.

(Only 3 stars because I wanted the book to be tighter.)

[Will Budd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book with the start focussing on Venezuela’s history then transforming into a story on the authors mother and other family relationships and how the turmoil of Venezuela effected these

[Camstheram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Research read. This was such a beautifully written, heartbreaking story. Motherland really takes you in to the chaos felt by every day people throughout Venezuela’s uncertain circumstances. 100% Recommend, however will totally break your heart!

[Jayde Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love a good memior and this is def above average ! I think that people who may not read a ton of nonfiction would enjoy this book!

[Jo Case · Rating 1 out of 5]

Difficult to read - didn’t finish it

[Jess Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. About half way through, I felt like the story turned a bit dry and boring. I was glad I pushed through to the end though because it did turn around.