Title: Tapestries of hope, threads of love : the arpillera movement in Chile, 1974-1994
Abstract: This book tells the story of ordinary women living in terror and extreme poverty under General Pinochet's oppressive rule in Chile (1973--1989) and how their lives did and did not change following his reign. These women defied the military dictatorship by embroidering their sorrow on scraps of cloth, using needles and thread as one of the boldest means of popular protest and resistance in Latin America. The arpilleras they made -- patchwork tapestries with scenes of everyday life and memorials to their disappeared relatives -- were smuggled out of Chile and brought to the world the story of their fruitless searches in jails, morgues, government offices, and the tribunals of law for their husbands, brothers, and sons. Marjorie Agosin, herself a native of and exile from Chile, has spent over twenty years interviewing the arpilleristas and following their work. She knows their stories intimately and knows, too, that not one of them has ever found a disappeared relative alive. Still, many of them maintain hope and continue to make their arpilleras. Includes a history of the women's movement, testimonies from the women in their own words, and, for the first time, full-color plates of their beautiful, moving, and ultimately hopeful arpilleras. Anyone interested in the history of contemporary Latin America will want to read this powerful story.<
Publication Year: 1996
Publication Date: 1996-01-01
Language: en
Type: book
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 31
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot