Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide is a riveting graphic novel about a family coming to terms with the far-reaching ways their lives have been traumatized by genocide. Award-winning animator and illustrator Pablo Leon, who comes from Guatemala, uses the story of two teenage boys and their mother to deftly dramatize how an estimated 140,000 to 200,000 people were killed during the Civil War between 1960 and 1996, 83% of them Indigenous, like this family.
In 2013, studious brothers José and Charlie live in Maryland knowing nothing of their hardworking mother’s past; she holds her anguish inside in an effort to protect them. When José’s teacher alerts him to the ongoing genocide trial of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, he begins to explore his heritage, prompting his mother to say, “Will you leave it alone?” After some impressive detective work from her sons produces unimagined results, however, the floodgates open, and she tells them her story.
Leon uses first-person narration effectively, first through José, later through both his mother, Clara, and her long-lost sister, Elena, as they recount atrocities endured as their home and family were destroyed. This is also a story about both the bickering and bonds of sibling relationships—between José and Charlie, and also Clara and Elena. Leon’s superb narrative and artistic skills give the book the sweep of an action-filled biopic, exploring personal relationships as well as conveying the gravity of horrific events. He efficiently relays important historical background while also portraying tsunamis of emotion, often with simply a red-faced grimace or clenched fist.
Like nonfiction narrative Death in the Jungle and graphic novel Muhammad Najem, War Reporter, this is an excellent book that brings an unspeakable history to life for young adults. Leon explains, “We are often a forgotten region, and this particular period is relatively unknown outside of Guatemala. However, it is a key conflict in understanding not just Guatemalan problems but also its ripple effects in the Northern countries today.”
Despite its brutal subject, Silenced Voices manages to be hopeful. As Leon concludes, “The journey forward won’t get better until we confront the failures of our past.” Silenced Voices is a devastatingly powerful step in this direction.
