The Tree of Life: Stories of Civil War

I deeply enjoyed the book I purchased. I felt it was worth every penny. My transaction was pleasant and I would buy from this seller again. I have been to El Salvador 4 times and long to go back again soon. I am drawn to their history and this book was moving to me. Thank you.

BENCASTRO OFRECE EN ESTE LIBRO UNA MIRADA A LA RECIEN PASADA GUERRA CIVIL OCURRIDA EN EL PUEBLO SALVADORENO, ACOSADO POR 12 ANOS EN EL TORMENTO DE A VIOLENCIA, MUERTE Y OPRESION . EL SUFRIMIENTO DE INOCENTES Y LA FORMA EN LA QUE AL IGUAL A UN MAJESTUOSO ARBOL ESTE PUEBLO LUCHA POR REGRESAR A LA VIDA, A LA PAZ TAN ABNEGADA DESPUES DE UN PERIODO CONFLICTIVO. ES UN LIBRO EXCELENTE QUE OFRECE UNA REGRESION AL TERROR DEL CONFLICTO ARMADO OCURRIDO EN EL SALVADOR, LAS MEMORIAS DE LOS QUE LA VIVIERON EN CARNE PROPIA Y LOS QUE RECORDAMOS ESE PERIODO TODAVIA CON ANGUSTIA EN EL CORAZON, Y LA LUCHA POR MANTENER UNA PAZ AUN EN PROCESO DE REALIZACION...

Through short, entertaining vignettes, the author provides an eloquent synthesis of a country in crisis. With delicate brushtrokes of crisp prose, Mr. Bencastro paints memorable pictures against the backdrop of turmoil in his country. I found the Spanish version eminently readable and in the best tradition of the Latin American short story. Excellent reading.

Mario Bencastro makes a portion of Salvadoran history more easily accessible to readers of all ages and, along with a translation intimately sensitive to the original Spanish, of Spanish- and English-speaking audiences alike. He captures the core of the human spirit through a collection of literary "pictures at an exhibition" where a civil war envelops a country's people in harsh realities that never seem possible until they happen and where what survives in the end, amidst all the rubble and bloodshed, is hope.