I, Rigoberta Menchú

This book recounts the remarkable life of Rigoberta Menchu, a young Guatemalan peasant woman

Translator’s note
Introduction

I The family
II Birth ceremonies
III The nahual
IV First visit to the finca. Life in the finca
V First visit to Guatemala City
VI An eight-year-old agricultural worker
VII Death of her little brother in the finca. Difficulty of communicating with other Indians
VIII Life in the Altiplano. Rigoberta’s tenth birthday
IX Ceremonies for sowing time and harvest. Relationships with the earth
X The natural world. The earth, mother of man
XI Marriage ceremonies
XII Life in the community
XIII Death of her friend by poisoning
XIV A maid in the capital
XV Conflict with the landowners and the creation of the CUC
XVI Period of reflection on the road to follow
XVII Self-defence in the village
XVIII The Bible and self-defence: the examples of Judith, Moses and David
XIX Attack on the village by the army
XX The death of Doña Petrona Chona
XXI Farewell to the community: Rigoberta decides to learn Spanish
XXII The CUC comes out into the open
XXIII Political activity in other communities.
Contacts with ladinos
XXIV The torture and death of her little brother, burnt alive in front of members of his family and the
community
XXV Rigoberta’s father dies in the occupation of the Spanish embassy. Peasants march to the capital
XXVI Rigoberta talks about her father
XXVII Kidnapping and death of Rigoberta’s mother
XXVIII Death
XXIX Fiestas and Indian queens
XXX Lessons taught her by her mother: Indian women and ladino women
XXXI Women and political commitment. Rigoberta renounces marriage and motherhood
XXXII Strike of agricultural workers and the First of May in the capital
XXXIII In hiding in the capital. Hunted by the army
XXXIV Exile

Acknowledgements
Glossary
Bibliography
Further Reading