Go and Come Back

Told from the perspective of a young indigenous woman observing the American anthropologists who come to study her village, this book does a nice job of revealing cultural difference without judgement. The story is compelling, too!

Lexile: 620

This was a very frank and straightforward look at what life can be like when two cultures come into close contact with each other. It was interesting to learn that it was based on the author’s actual experiences as an anthropologist in the Amazon. The book successfully blends the theme of culture clash between the anthropologists and the villagers with the coming of age story of Alicia. Alicia’s subtle changes over the course of the book correspond with the changes of perception between the two cultures. While the overall book can be viewed as a “slice of life” story, with individual incidences making up the bulk of the book, the running themes bring a broader and deeper meaning to the stories.

I thought this novel was written with such great effect. It reveals how cultures and people can be different in the way they think and live their lives, but that a lot has to do with perception and your experiences. This novel is told through a natives eyes and perception, which makes sense due to where she comes from and her environment in Peru. I think this is a great example of a multicultural book that makes you see and acknowledge a different culture and way of life than yours. It was very well written and effective.

An Isabo teenaged girl named Alicia takes readers into a hidden world deep in the heart of the Amazonian jungle of Peru. There is no Isabo word for “goodbye.” Instead, when two people part, they say “catanhue,” which translates as go and come back—and which gives this novel its title. Alicia is not so sure about the “two old white ladies” from “the New York” who have come to study her tightly knit village. They come with so many possessions and ask for an empty house. “Whoever heard of a house no one was using?” Alicia thinks. “It takes a long time and a lot of people to build a house.” Through Alicia’s narrative, teens gain another perspective on how to live and to reevaluate the things they take for show more granted.

Full review:
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