Flowers in the Desert/Flores En El Desierto - 2nd Edition by Paula Allen (Hardcover)

About the Book

An account, including stunning photographs, of the search by some of the women of the town of Calama, Chile, for the remains of their loved ones who were murdered and "disappeared" by the Pinochet regime.

Book Synopsis

"Behind the plan of exterminating those innocent men whose only sin was to have supported the legitimate president of Chile, behind the plan of sequestering their bodies so that no one could find their remains, there was the presumption that the desert would be a place of silence, that the desert was too vast and forbidding to ever yield its secrets. There was the certainty that the desert would be barren, quiet, as dead as the men who had been murdered. Those who committed these crimes were wrong."--from the afterword by Ariel Dorfman

On September 11, 1973, with the backing of the Nixon administration, armed forces led by General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the socialist government of Chilean president Salvador Allende. Following Pinochet's seizure of power, ordinary citizens began to vanish from the cities and villages of Chile. This process became known as "disappearing"--the abduction of people from their homes, places of work and universities--never to be seen again.

One month after the coup, a contingent of soldiers boarded a military helicopter and embarked on a mission later called the "Caravan of Death." On October 19, the soldiers made their final stop, in Calama, where twenty-six men were executed, their bodies buried in a secret desert grave. In all, the Caravan murdered a total of seventy-five people from five different cities.

During the first few years after the disappearances, many of the wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers of the men of Calama met secretly. Frustrated by officials' unwillingness to provide information about their loved ones, the women set out to find the bodies themselves. For seventeen years they searched the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, digging with shovels under a scorching sun, until they finally found the mass grave containing the crushed remains of their relatives.

Paula Allen's mesmerizing black and white photographs capture the courageous story of these women. The images reveal an overwhelming love, a heartrending sadness, and an unspeakable commitment to the search for the truth. Flowers in the Desert puts a human face on this dark period of history that affected not only Chile but much of Latin America and the world.

From the Back Cover

"To read this book is to hold two eternally opposed human forces in your hands: the capacity of groups of men to visit unspeakable horrors on the innocent, and the tenacity of groups of women who bluntly refuse to accept that horror as the final word. Within these pages, Allen has brought together vast landscapes of terror, expansive skies of hope, searing words of truth. Don't look away."--Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine

"A valuable work that revolves around a painful period of our history. I congratulate Paula Allen on her endeavor to highlight the role of Chilean women, and her contribution to peace, truth and justice, which are values cherished by all of us. This book is an eloquent testimony to the courage of the Chilean women, which was so important for the recovery of our democracy."--Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile

"Paula Allen has literally given a lifetime to this magnificent book. It is epic and humble, dug into the sands of the Atacama Desert--a recording of the shattering beauty and struggle involved in a 40-year pursuit of justice. It is the imagery of the longing for flesh and reasons, a map of the indomitable souls of extraordinary women in search of those they love."--Eve Ensler, playwright and founder of V-Day

"Year after year, Paula Allen has returned to Calama to photograph the women searching for their dead while dreaming that they may still be alive. The memories of their loved ones have united them and kept them strong. Allen's camera transmits that message to every corner of the earth. She shows us that the light of memory is still burning brightly."--Patricio Guzmán, documentary film director of Nostalgia for the Light

"These lyrical and courageous photographs prove that the power of art can compel us to understand the unrelenting need for justice. Flowers in the Desert invites us to meditate on the meaning of truth and remembrance."--Marjorie Agosín, author of The Light of Desire

"Paula Allen's profound commitment to the women of Calama granted her the privilege not only to photograph them as they scoured the desert for their loved ones, but also to share in their anguish and hope. This deep connection is instantly recognizable in the intimacy of this stunning volume. It is a book of memory and history, yes, but ultimately, it is a portrait of strength and perseverance."--Sibylla Brodzinsky, editor of Throwing Stones at the Moon

About the Author

Paula Allen is a documentary photographer whose work spans more than three decades and has appeared in numerous international publications. She has photographed for such human rights organizations as Amnesty International, Refugees International, and V-Day: A Global Movement to End Violence Against Women and Girls, in places including the Balkans, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and post-Katrina New Orleans.