“SHATTERED PARADISE is powerful, compelling, emotional, and, at the end, liberating. Be prepared to cry and gasp at some of the passages in this book. Araguti does a great job of bringing the Nicaragua of her memory to life with its legendary rainforest, colorful characters, vivid and graphic narrative and a love of a country that pours forth from her pen in splendor and darkness both. And, it is through the eyes of the child that we see the innocence, the beauty of what once was. And now, through her memoir “that” Nicaragua lives again.”—The Latina Book Club
“Descriptive and compelling, Shattered Paradise brings the reader to this magical land, its folkloric culture and its diminishing wildlife.”—Readers Favorite
“From the tropical memories in Ileana Araguti’s “Shattered Paradise: Memoirs of a Nicaraguan War Child” flows tropical memories mixed with feelings of failures and promises. Her story is captivating, even riveting, within the best testimonio tradition: quite an accomplishment for her first book.”—Francisco Lomeli, Professor, UCSB
“In her lyrical memoir, Ileana Araguti honors her native land in all of its beauty and conflicts with the kind of loving honesty every homeland deserves. Shattered Paradise is one of the most moving memoirs I’ve read.”—Bruce McAllister, author of the Village Sang to the Sea: A Memoir of Magic
"Wonderfully evokes Nicaragua's enchanting beauty and the enormity of its loss."—Kirkus Reviews
The wordsmith behind her debut and acclaimed memoir, Shattered Paradise: Memoirs of a Nicaraguan War Child, earned her multiple recognitions from The International Latino Book Awards Foundation. Her memoir, an inspiring and heart-wrenching testimony of survival, guides readers through a poetic odyssey, weaving a narrative that transcends the mystical City of Mist to the harsh realities etched into the cobblestone of a nation wounded by war and conflict.
“Through the writing of this memoir, I have released the heavy chains that held me prisoner. I have learned to once again love the country I come from, but most importantly, I have learned to forgive and to appreciate second chances in life. My greatest inspiration is living life to the fullest with love and hope for a better world.”—Ileana Araguti
