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)
21.
Seven Ways to Kill a Cat by Matías Néspolo EN
Country: South America / 
Argentina
Argentina
Description:
Set in Buenos Aires at the time of Argentina's financial crash, and seen through the eyes of twenty-year-old Gringo, it tells the story of two boys on the cusp of adulthood who have no choice but to join the gang warfare that rules their community. At least, Gringo's friend Chueco thinks they have no choice. He's determined to prove himself hard enough to get into El Jetita's gang, but smart enough to remain his own man. Gringo is more intelligent. He knows that gangs don't work like that: you obey the leader or else. As the two get drawn ever deeper into a pitched battle between El Jetita and... continue
22.
Solitary. Alone we are Nothing by Gladys Ambort EN
Country: South America / Argentina
Argentina
Description:
As a young student and activist for a different social order, Gladys Ambort fell victim to political repression in the Argentina of the 1970s. Denounced by her college professor, she was incarcerated for three years, during part of which she underwent solitary confinement in a small, isolated cell. Solitary is her account of this era of her life, including her battles with alienation, truth, reality and uncertainty. She also describes the ‘nothingness’ to which her captors reduced her, which lingered for decades as she rebuilt her life in exile — sounding a warning to others: ‘Never again’. Th... continue
23.
The Bolivian Diary by Che Guevara EN
Country: South America / Argentina
Argentina
Description:
THE BASIS OF THE MOVIE "CHE: PART TWO" FROM STEVEN SODERBERGH STARRING BENICIO DEL TORO This is Che Guevara's last diary, compiled from notebooks found in his backpack when he was captured by the Bolivian army in October 1967 and subsequently executed. It became an instant bestseller. Newly revised by Che's widow (Aleida March), and including a thoughtful preface by his eldest son Camilo, this is the definitive account of the attempt to spark a continent-wide revolution in Latin America. "Thanks to Che's invariable habit of noting the main events of each day, we have rigorously exact, priceles... continue
24.
The Book of Emma Reyes by Emma Reyes EN
Country: South America / 
Colombia
Colombia
Description:
A literary discovery: an extraordinary account . . .of a Colombian woman's harrowing childhood. This astonishing memoir of a childhood lived in extreme poverty in Latin America was hailed as an instant classic when first published in Colombia in 2012, nine years after the death of its author, who was encouraged in her writing by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Comprised of letters written over the course of thirty years, and translated and introduced by acclaimed Peruvian-American writer Daniel Alarcón . . .
25.
The Diary of “Helena Morley” by Helena Morley EN
Country: South America / 
Brazil
Brazil
Description:
Originally published in 1942 under the title Minha Vida de Menina—Portuguese meaning “My Life as a Little Girl or “Young Girl”—this book is a diary that was kept by the author, Helena Morley (pseudonym of Alice Dayrell Caldeira Brant), when she was between the ages of twelve and fifteen (1893-1895), and living in Diamantina, a small diamond mining town in southeastern Brazil. The little girl describes her homework, her love of parades and dresses, her father who could scarcely make a living in the mines, and her most beloved grandmother. The diary was admired by French Novelist Georges Bernano... continue
26.
The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto 'Che' Guevara EN
Country: South America / Argentina
Argentina
Description:
Publisher Description
27.
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio EN
Country: South America / 
Ecuador
Ecuador
Description:
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • One of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard reveals the hidden lives of her fellow undocumented Americans in this deeply personal and groundbreaking portrait of a nation. “Karla’s book sheds light on people’s personal experiences and allows their stories to be told and their voices to be heard.”—Selena Gomez FINALIST FOR THE NBCC JOHN LEONARD AWARD • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, NPR, THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, BOOK RIOT, LIBRARY JOURNAL, AND TIME Writer Karla Cornejo Villavicencio ... continue
28.
To Sir with Love by Edward Ricardo Braithwaite EN
Country: South America / 
Guyana
Guyana
Description:
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY CARYL PHILLIPS In 1945, Rick Braithwaite, a smart, highly educated ex-RAF pilot, looks for a job in British engineering. He is deeply shocked to realise that, as a black man from British Guiana, no one will employ him because of the colour of his skin. In desperation he turns to teaching, taking a job in a tough East End school, and left to govern a class of unruly teenagers. With no experience or guidance, Braithwaite attempts to instill discipline, confound prejudice and ultimately, to teach.
29.
We Will Be Jaguars : A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo EN
Country: South America / Ecuador
Ecuador
Description:
"Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest--one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s--Nemonte Nenquimo had a singular upbringing. Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful voices in climate change activism. She has spearheaded the alliance of indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over a half million acres of primary rainforest. Her message is as sharp as a spear--honed by her experiences battling loggers, miners, oil companies and missionaries"--
30.
We Will Not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo EN
Country: South America / Ecuador
Ecuador
Description:
'I'm here to tell you my story, which is also the story of my people and the story of this forest.' Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, Nemonte Nenquimo was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism by her elders. Age 14, she left the forest for the first time to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city. Eventually, her ancestors began appearing in her dreams, pleading with her to return and embrace her own culture. She listened. Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful voices in climate-change activ... continue