The Disappeared - by Rebecca J Sanford

Book Synopsis

Inspired by the real mothers and grandmothers who spoke out against Argentina's military dictatorship, The Disappeared is an award-winning debut about identity, family secrets, and those who endured decades of hardship to expose the truth.

In 1976 Buenos Aires, Lorena Ledesma is a housewife with dangerous secrets living under Argentina's rising military dictatorship. When she and her husband are torn from their home by the paramilitary in the middle of the night, their two-year-old son is left behind with Lorena's mother, Esme. There's never any record of the arrest. Desperate to locate Lorena, Esme joins an underground group of mothers who are investigating the disappearances of their own missing children. But when they make a devastating discovery--that several of their kidnapped daughters have given birth in prison--a new kind of pursuit begins: the search for their stolen grandchildren.

Nearly three decades later, thousands of miles away, American adoptee Rachel Sprague learns she has a biological brother from another country--somewhere she has never visited. But the truth goes far deeper than the results of a DNA test, and revealing her origins will expose painful family secrets that could put Rachel's loved ones in jeopardy.

A heart-wrenching drama that spans thirty years, The Disappeared is inspired by the true stories of the mothers and grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an extraordinary group of women who, for more than forty-five years, have been searching for children of the "disappeared"--those captured as dissidents during Argentina's Dirty War.

Review Quotes

"The prose is naturalistic, aching, and apprehensive...A tumultuous wartime saga, The Disappeared follows mothers and daughters as they fight for personal and political truth."

-- "Foreword Reviews"

"As Sanford links the story lines, she portrays Rachel's cathartic discoveries in commanding and poetic prose. It's a resonant and historically rich tale."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

"The devastation caused by Argentina's 'Dirty War' has no foreseeable end. The trauma lives on in the children of the disappeared, the mothers and grandmothers of the disappeared, and the society at large. Rebecca Sanford's compelling book, The Disappeared, reminds us there is no 'over.'"

-- "Diana Taylor, author of ¡Presente! The Politics of Presence"

"Carolina Hoyos gives a powerful performance...Hoyos convincingly conveys anxiety, panic, and fear, captivating listeners."

-- "AudioFile"

"An engrossing lesson in the consequences of venal politics and an illustration of how trauma can move down through generations. It should serve as a wake-up call for any nation flirting with putting a strongman in--or back in--power."

-- "Washington Independent Review of Books"

"A beautiful and tenderly written tale of activism, trauma, and the resilience of familial love. Sanford writes with depth and sensitivity as she tells the story of three generations of women who have all lost something incredibly dear to them and who follow their passion and convictions at all costs, in the hope of a better life for themselves and for those they care about most. A wonderful and memorable read."

-- "Charlene Carr, author of Hold My Girl and We Rip the World Apart"

"A fast-paced exploration of responsibility, accountability, and activism in tumultuous times...A must-read for historical fiction fans and a real-world cautionary tale of complacency and tyranny."

-- "Library Journal (starred review)"

"Equally heartbreaking and uplifting, Rebecca Sanford's The Disappeared is a testament to the enduring devotion of a mother to her children. A powerful, richly crafted debut by a gifted new voice in historical fiction."

-- "Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary"

"Rarely does a book capture the raw emotions of a tragic historical event as powerfully as The Disappeared by Rebecca Sanford...Sanford's writing is both evocative and poignant. She has a remarkable ability to breathe life into her characters, making their experiences palpable."

-- "Lost in Bookland"

"Rebecca Sanford's novel will capture your heart and your imagination. Carefully researched and powerfully written, The Disappeared is a necessary book to help us find the hundreds of children--now women and men--who were stolen from their families in the Argentina of my own tragedy."

-- "Dr. Alicia Partnoy, author of The Little School: Tales of Disappearance and Survival"

"Sanford's debut is a wrenching reminder of the costs of history, the human losses behind politics, and the burden of keeping secrets."

-- "Booklist"

"Written in spare yet wonderfully evocative prose, The Disappeared captures the brutal realities of a shared buried history, one that we can now never afford to forget. Rebecca J. Sanford is a gifted novelist, and I highly recommend this deeply compelling and important book."

-- "Andre Dubus III, New York Times bestselling author of House of Sand and Fog"