Popular South American Biography Books
Find biography books written by authors from South America for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (31)
1.
Bolivar : American Liberator by Marie Arana EN
Country: South America / 
Peru
Peru
Description:
An authoritative portrait of the Latin-American warrior-statesman draws on a wealth of primary documents to set his life against a backdrop of the explosive tensions of 19th-century South America, providing coverage of such topics as his role in the 1813 campaign for Colombian and Venezuelan independence, his legendary love affairs and his achievements as a strategist, abolitionist and diplomat.
2.
Dislocations by Sylvia Molloy EN
Country: South America / 
Argentina
Argentina
Description:
How do you keep a friendship intact, when Alzheimer's has stolen the common ground of language, memory, and experience, that unites you? In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too—M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it's passed along by... continue
4.
Hope : The Autobiography by Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio EN
Country: South America / Argentina
Argentina
Description:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pope Francis originally intended this exceptional book to appear only after his death, but the needs of our times and the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope have moved him to make this precious legacy available now. “Hope vividly recreates the colorful world where the young Jorge Mario Bergoglio grew up.”—The New York Times Hope is the first autobiography in history ever to be published by a Pope. Written over six years, this complete autobiography starts in the early years of the twentieth century, with Pope Francis’s Italian roots and his ancestors’ courageous migration to... continue
5.
In The Shadow of the Mountain by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado EN
Country: South America / Peru
Peru
Description:
WINNER OF THE 2023 EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I'm in awe of her strength and courage' - Selena Gomez 'An incredibly powerful story' Sunday Independent 'In the Shadow of the Mountain has all the elements a great memoir requires - a strong voice, cinematic prose, a hero to root for - in essence, an extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman's life' - San Francisco Chronicle 'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a woman possessed of uncommon strength, rare compassion, and a ferocious stubbornness to not allow the trauma of her childhood to destroy her l... continue
6.
La hermana menor: Un retrato de Silvina Ocampo by Mariana Enriquez ES
Country: South America / Argentina
Argentina
Description:
En este libro, Mariana Enriquez, a través de una enorme cantidad de fuentes bibliográficas y testimonios de amigos, críticos, parientes y albaceas de Silvina Ocampo, cuestiona los mitos, descorre el velo sobre los secretos y mira con una intensidad única la vida de quien vivió con el afán de permanecer oculta. El resultado es el retrato emocionante de una mujer entrañable y oscura, inteligente y suavemente perversa, dueña de una imaginación desaforada (y de unas piernas espectaculares), a quien hoy se considera una de las mejores cuentistas del Río de la Plata.
7.
La llamada: Un retrato by Leila Guerriero ES
Country: South America / Argentina
Argentina
Description:
Esta es una historia real, llena de aristas y sombras, sobre la condición humana. A fines de los sesenta, con trece años, la argentina Silvia Labayru era una adolescente tímida, lectora, amante de los animales, entusiasta de John F. Kennedy, hija de una familia de militares que incluía a su padre, miembro de la Fuerza Aérea y piloto civil. A esa edad ingresó en el Colegio Nacional Buenos Aires, una institución pública de gran prestigio, donde entró en contacto con agrupaciones estudiantiles de izquierda y se transformó en una militante aguerrida. En marzo de 1976 se produjo en la Argentina un ... continue
8.
Las memorias póstumas de Blas Cubas by Machado de Assis ES
Country: South America / 
Brazil
Brazil
Description:
El fallecido Blas Cubas cuenta toda su vida desde su nacimiento hasta su muerte en un estilo innovador y sin precedentes hasta entonces. Cuenta sus amores frustrados con Marcela y Virgília, su intento de ingresar a la vida política y su búsqueda de darle sentido a su vida siguiendo la fallida filosofía de Quincas Borba.
9.
Country: South America / 
Chile
Chile
Description:
Pablo Neruda has been hailed as the greatest poet of the 20th century & was a Nobel laureat. In these memoirs he also recounts his distinguished career as a diplomat & politician, during which he came to know iconic figures including Gandhi, Che Guevara & Mao Tse Tung.
10.
Na minha pele by Lázaro Ramos PT
Country: South America / Brazil
Brazil
Description:
Movido pelo desejo de viver num mundo em que a pluralidade cultural, racial, étnica e social seja vista como um valor positivo, e não uma ameaça, Lázaro Ramos divide com o leitor suas reflexões sobre temas como ações afirmativas, gênero, família, empoderamento, afetividade e discriminação. Ainda que não seja uma biografia, em "Na minha pele" Lázaro compartilha episódios íntimos de sua vida e também suas dúvidas, descobertas e conquistas. Ao rejeitar qualquer tipo de segregação ou radicalismos, Lázaro nos fala da importância do diálogo. Não se pode abraçar a diferença pela diferença, mas lutar ... continue