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  • Spiral of Silence [Espiral de silencios] by Elvira Sánchez-Blake
  • Megan Thornton
Sánchez-Blake, Elvira. Spiral of Silence [Espiral de silencios]. Traducido por Lorena Terando. Curbstone Books, 2019. Pp. 159. ISBN 978-0-81013-916-9 (print)/978-0-81013-917-6 (digital).

Elvira Sánchez-Blake’s Spiral of Silence is a testimonial novel about the impact of Colombia’s civil war on those left behind, primarily women and children. The novel weaves together historical facts about this decades-long conflict with the lives of its three fictional female characters— Mariate (María Teresa), a guerrilla fighter and artist who loses three sons to the war, Norma, an upper-class woman married to a military officer, and Amparo, a young woman who gets caught in the middle. As the story unfolds and they deal with the consequences of war, their lives intersect to heal past traumas and to work towards change. Knitting and weaving are an essential part of this healing change. Thus, just as the women in the novel create tapestries to counter the violence and overcome loss, Spiral of Silence tells a story of devastation and hope, struggle and survival, highlighting the feminine energy and power that has created networks of solidarity to push for peace in Colombia.

With Spiral of Silence, Sánchez-Blake creates a narrative tapestry that gives voice to Latin America’s longest political conflict. As the title suggests, there are different silences represented in the novel—military cover-ups, government impunities, guerrilla tactics, and family secrets—that have created a cycle of violence and a spiral of hatred that have permeated generations. Mariate best summarizes this vicious cycle: “We are all victim and victimizer at the same time. No one wins in war. We are all losers” (111). The novel combats this spiral of silence by giving testimony to the decades of dislocations, forced migrations, violent deaths, and unending heartaches. Readers learn about the complexity of the situation as the lives of guerrilla fighters, drug traffickers, paramilitary groups (also referred to paracos to show their involvement with the narcos), government and military officials, and innocent people are all intertwined. The story also gives testimony to Colombian culture by including descriptions of traditional dress, like the ruana (poncho), and typical foods, like the arepas de choclo (cornmeal cakes) and lulo (tamarind juice), showing that everyday life continues in the interstices of the spiral of war.

The novel’s format mirrors its content, for the ending marks the beginning, much like the circle of life. Death and violence weave in and out of the story, but life prevails in the end. This circular story is divided into two parts, each of which are introduced by poems and comprised of micro-chapters told from the perspective of Mariate, Norma, or Amparo. The narration switches between first person and third person, giving the sense of a testimonial editor, or a fourth voice, who is revealed at the very end. Much of the action takes place in the 1980s and 90s, during which Mariate and Norma’s stories unfold, but then they intersect with Amparo in the early 2000s, showing that nothing has changed. The fighting has continued and is now affecting younger generations. The micro-chapters make for a quick read, but the changes between voices and time require an active reader to piece together the narrative tapestry.

By blending fact with fiction, this testimonial novel makes history accessible through its fictional story. The glossary and timeline at the end of the book provide essential information for those who are not familiar with the conflict in Colombia. It provides contextual clues for such events as La Violencia (1948–58), the M-19 hostile takeover of the embassy of the Dominican Republic (1980) and the Palace of Justice (1985) in Bogotá, the death and legacy of Pablo Escobar, peace negotiations with the FARC, and the United States involvement through Plan Colombia. Even the timeline weaves together fact with fiction, listing key narrative events in italics along with historical events. It is so thorough, however, that it gives away the conclusion of the novel. The Foreword by literary critic Debra A. Castillo lends the...

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