Colibri (Readers Circle)

I read this story after having visited a small Mayan village in Guatemala. In it, a young Mayan girl is used by an older man, "Uncle", to provide an extra income as he travels and begs. Ann Cameron has done a lovely job of blending the dynamics between abuser and abused, revealing how deeply a child can be severed from their own identity, and how difficult it is to see it, or to imagine a life outside of it once you are in it. She weaves a story of self-discovery, of strength and compassion. She reminds us that it only takes one caring person to reach out and empower another. Ann Cameron incorporates the traditions and cultural intricacies of the people she writes about with great tenderness, respect, and honesty. This is a book rich with the texture and feel, color and brilliance of Guatemala through the eyes of her indigenous people.

This story (unabridged on CD) kept me, my husband, and our 9-year-old daughter riveted for hours on a long car trip. The story is interesting and the reader is excellent (not annoying, as some are). We stopped the CD many times to discuss the story. It is difficult to find a story that keeps the interest of adults AND is appropriate for kids; this is one!

In my book a young girl was kidnapped and then stranded on a street. A man finds her and takes her home with him. They look for her parents but no one reports a lost girl. So he decides to take care of her. Later in the book the man and the girl went to a city where one of the man's friends lives. There she got her own room and was able to take warm showers with shampoo and nice soap. When they were there the man and his friend explained to her that they wanted her to go to a church and stay there and keep watch for them because they were going to go into the church and steal the statue of Mary. The girl knew that this was wrong and told the priest what they were going to do. The man told her ti stay with him and that she wouldn't be in trouble because she did not do any thing wrong. She didnt want to stay and instead while the man was on the phone calling people who lived in the village to help him catch the men she ran away so that the man wouldnt be mad at her. To find out what happens at the end of the book go and check it out. I would definately recomind you doing just that. It was a good book because it always had something interesting going on and that made you not want to put the book down. I enjoyes this book and would recomind this book to anyone!

Tzunun Chumil, a Mayan child in Guatemala, was stolen from her parents on a crowded bus when she was four years old. Since that day, she has traveled with "Uncle," a sinister con artist who involves his unwilling charge in his schemes. Uncle supports "Rosa," as he prefers to call her, because many fortunetellers have predicted that she will find him a great treasure. Readers will identify with Tzunun as she searches her past for her true heritage, escapes her guardian and strikes up a friendship with a Mayan astrologer, and struggles to overcome her own inability to express her feelings, symbolized in the book by a claustrophobic, crushing sensation in her throat. (shy kids can relate). Readers of all ages will love the scary and magical elements of the story and savor the suspense. I especially loved the descriptions of the Guatemalan countryside and the little details which colorfully evoked the characters' way of life and their travels. Cameron has crafted a deliciously vivid depiction of Central America, and a thrilling tale of mystery.