Life and Death in the Andes: On the Trail of Bandits, Heroes, and Revolutionaries by Kim McQuarrie
Why I Chose This Book
It's not really a secret over here at Molly on the Road, but I'm a little bit addicted to South America and also very academically interested in the Andes region in particular (the Incas were so cool!). Life and Death in the Andes came out right around Christmas time, and you know it was on the top of my wishlist. Luckily my parents came through on that, and I spent my winter break devouring this book.
Basically, it's about…
Author Kim McQuarrie takes us on a wild ride through the rugged Andes mountains, from the tip top of the range in Colombia to the very Southern edges of Patagonia, and covers all the myseterious stories, legends, and histories in between. The book explores tales of drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar, explorer and biologist Charles Darwin, revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and many more, all in the context of the marvalous places nestled along the Andes. As an often-ignored part of the world, I lovedthis narrative of South American history that often goes untold.
Takeaway
This book was a great read, and it would probably be just as interesting for people who aren't familiar with South America. However, it was so much fun to read about places I've stood and learn about the events that happened there from a perspective that is more questioning and inquisitive than my walking tour guide ever could be. This book makes me want to explore deeper and do a lot more background research on any destination I'm visiting. I would highly recommend it as some interesting light reading for the history buffs among us–or better yet; follow the book's path and take it with you from Colombia to the tip of Chile! What a trip that would be.