When Lori, the marketing director at CCLaP Publishing and book blogger at TNBBC asked me if I wanted to review História, História: Two Years in the Cape Verde Islands by Eleanor Stanford, it was really easy to say yes.
Historia, Historia is about Eleanor’s experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cape Verde. I have a personal connection to this story because one of my cousins was in the Peace Corps in Peru (where he stayed and met his amazing wife), and one of his sisters is in the Peace Corps right now in Madagascar (did you see her post about the libraries?).
Eleanor and her husband, Dan, were in their young 20s when they went over to the Cape Verde islands to be teachers. Their story, mainly Ellie’s, is interwoven with the history of the islands as well as some of the local stories that are passed down orally.
Ellie discusses her feelings of loneliness on the islands, the inability to go with the flow as much as the natives. She feels close to a few friends, but distanced from her husband Dan. Pretty soon, she is controlling the one thing she feels able to control: her food habits and her weight.
Ellie is open to discussing her flirtation with an eating disorder, her marital issues,
Eleanor Stanford
and her feelings of loneliness, while still illuminating her time in the Cape Verde islands as a peaceful, calm, and worthwhile experience.
Her writing was beautiful. For instance, she wrote:
“We spent eight hours a day in a cinderblock school building that held heat like a secret”
I just love that! ”Held heat like a secret.” Beautiful metaphor that I can understand and almost feel.
Here’s another one I loved:
“We watched the sun set from our roof every evening, perched on the edge of a dark precipice; below us the ocean threw itself again and again against the cliffs.”
Historia, Historia is short, and a quick read, but still gives enough of a detailed overview of Eleanor’s experience to leave you satisfied. It reminded me of The Sex Lives of Cannibals, and if you enjoyed that nonfictional take on being a stranger in a foreign society, then you will enjoy Historia, Historia.
Take a few minutes to check out Eleanor’s website as well. There’s a 2 minute trailer for Historia, Historia that is worth the watch. And something I always love to see, if you order her book (coming out March 11) from CCLaP Publishing, 20% of the proceeds go to the Cape Verde Children’s Coalition, to help the very children that Eleanor, Dan, and other Peace Corps volunteers helped to teach.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Are you a roughin’ it Peace Corps type of volunteer or do you prefer the comforts of home while you’re doing something good?
Thanks for reading,
Lovely review
I’m going to have to check out the trailer! I didn’t know that some of the proceeds were going to charity, that’s fantastic.
Well, since I kind of felt a connection to Eleanor, I checked out the website and saw that! It just makes me want to spread the love even more.
I enjoyed reading this post. It’s always inspiring and hopeful to read about people like Eleanor and your cousin making a positive difference in places where help is most needed. I’m glad you included all of the links! Thanks for another great post Rebecca. ~Ilene
Thank you for your kind words. I feel like I am always saying that to you!
I am not a Peace Corps person, but I am inspired by everyone who is for doing so many wonderful things. I’ll donate my time, my money, and try to spread the words. I think that there are so many ways to make a difference in the world, and they’re doing it big. But we all make a difference, even if sometimes it just involves a simple kind deed.
Lovely review Rebecca. First time I’ve heard about this book.
It’s new! Not even out yet. . . soon though!
For some reason I imagineI’ve seen a review about this before (in the week). Must be going out of my mind…
Jennifer, the Relentless Reader, just posted about it. Did you see it there?
Yes I did! Should leave a comment (but I saw her post after I saw yours)
I saw hers, but only after I saw yours. I must have spotted it elsewhere …
I read Jennifer review a few hours ago
You agree with her, I see. It must be a must-read book.
Yes! I saw her review yesterday, and was glad to see we agreed! I had already written my review, but I agree with Jennifer on so many books that I feel like it’s a good recommendation if we both like it!
This sounds like a great and inspiring book! I’ve always been curious about the Peace Corp, and Historia, Historia sounds fascinating.
It is, and since it’s quick, it’s a good in-between type of book. When Lori contacted me about it, she told me it was okay if I couldn’t read it before it came out, but I picked it up that night since it was short and I had just finished my other book. . . I finished it the next day!
Because it was good and short, not just because it was short!
This looks like a book I will love. Great review and very tempting
Thanks! You should get it then! I love that proceeds go to charity (always something that makes me happy)!
you have a beautiful heart.
Since everyone seems interested, I wanted to make it clear that it’s not just 10 percent of Eleanor’s royalties that are being donated to the Cape Verde Children’s Coalition; CCLaP is matching that on our end, so it’s actually 20 percent of the profits that are being donated. The book comes out Monday in both a handmade paper edition and a free electronic version, so I encourage you to stop by http://www.cclapcenter.com/historia then!
I have changed that in my post, so now the percentage is accurate! Thank you for alerting me to my error!
This sounds like a great read!
It is!!!!
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