Esperanza Speaks
Confronting a Century of Global Change in Rural Panama

Gloria Rudolf (Author)

9781487594701

Hardback, published 19 April 2021

224 pages, 1 figure
23.5 x 15.9 x 1.9 cm, 0.46 kg

"Rudolf’s combination of vivid storytelling, clear analysis, and relevant historical sidebars make the book a provocative, poignant discussion starter for early undergraduates."

Esperanza Speaks examines a century-long process of socioeconomic change in rural Panama through the experiences of one woman, Esperanza Ruiz, and four generations of her family. The intimate narrative shows how ordinary people, through their choices and actions, are affected by and, in turn, can affect how history unfolds. Readers see Esperanza’s family as both victims and protagonists in their own histories. Born into rural poverty with limited options, they still find small openings to try to improve their lives. Sometimes successful, sometimes not, they survive by drawing on their only abundant resource: each other. Based on twenty field visits over the course of fifty years, Esperanza Speaks is the result of a dedicated anthropologist’s long-term engagement with the individuals of a single community, and a beautiful example of ethnographic storytelling.

Illustrations
Boxes
Acknowledgments
People You Will Meet
The Ruiz Family: Kinship Chart
Introductions
1. The Isthmus of Panama: Two Different Worlds (pre-1920s)
2. Childhood: As Soon as I Opened My Eyes (1920s–1930s)
3. Youth: I Could Always Quit and Go Home (1940s–1950s)
4. Adult: A Voice Meant to Be Heard (1960s–1980s)
5. Elder: Doors Open, Doors Close (1990s–2019)
6. Next Generations: Who’s Heading Home Again? (2019)
Concluding Thoughts
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index