Customer Reviews

Until Death Do Us Part: My Struggle to Reclaim Colombia

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The author is a brave individual. Her battle against corruption in Colombian politics is a lonely pursuit. It also exposes her to enormous risk. The only annoying part of her story is the overwhelming use of the first person.

This book was awesome. I loved it. I could not put it down. The story was told in terms that everyone could understand. The book follows wonderfully.
If you are looking for a book that deals with women's rights and the struggles that they must endure, this is a good one to pick. I had to read this book for a history of Latin American class. It really helped us as atudents understand the situation that Ms. Betancourt was facing in Columbia. As well as, understand some of the choices she made.
As a female reader it stirred my emotions. I highly suggest ths book as an educational read, or just a for the fun of it read.

This book reads not only as an autobiography, but also as a political testament from a truly courageous woman. No matter what your political leanings or philosophy may be, you have to be impressed with Betancourt's integrity and character. Reading this book has given me an interest into why Colombia is in the dire straits that it's in today.

Ingrid Betancourt's quest for a peaceful, reformed Colombia may seem quixotic. But it is reassuring to know that there are politicians like her in the world. Let us hope that she will be freed unharmed so that she can again stand up for what Colombia needs today: peace, stability, progress, and social justice.

(...)
Ingrid Betancourt is not reclaiming anything. She is pompous and self serving, which can be evidenced by her extensive use of the first person. She believes that she is Colombia's Joan of Arc, an unlikely comparison as she has been part of Colombia's political elite and has never experienced the day to day realities of Colombia. (Its difficult when you spent most of your life in France and then attempt to come back as a modern day Mesiah)
Do not waste your time or money with this book as it does not give you a true picture of Colombia's extremely complex situation. This is just another one in a long line of Ingrid Betancourt's publicity stunts, which included handing out condoms and Viagra (illegally without a prescription) at every streetlight during her campaign.

Ingrid was candidate for the presidency of Colombia when she has been kidnapped by the Colombian guerilla in February 2002. Since she is still detained and her family received one tape from her in July 2002. Everywhere in the world people start to mobilize for her liberation. She wrote this book just before her kidnapping, when she was a Colombian senator. During all her politic life she has been fighting corruption and drug traffic. She is a model of integrity for us. She believes in Colombia and shows us the good face of this country.

As a Colombian I felt this book said everything I ever thought about the Colombian situation and its causes. I think she is doing exactly what the country needs and what more upper-class people, who always think the problem does not concern them should be doing:getting involved! It has been really difficult for the programs she was conducting before her abduction to stay alive, as it was for her father who died one month after her kidnapping without a chance to say goodbye. It has almost been one year without her. We miss her deeply, all the ones who are captive are missed; but apparently the government has more important things in their agenda, than negotiating freedom for more than 3000 people. This is a must read, and it will make you want to do something. That is its greatest effect!

This is a great book and she is an amazing women. We're in October and she's been captive for more than 7 months now and chances are she will remain captive for many more months.

If you want to know more about her, see [...] the site of the Canadian Support Committee.

This is an excellent story about Ms. Betancourt's struggle to serve the Colombian people honestly and with dignity in a society that seems to lack both of those virtues among its political leaders. It's a fast read and inspired me to learn more about contemporary Colombia. Her story is amazing, and her matter-of-fact manner of telling it is refreshing.

My only critique is that the story seemed rushed, and felt a bit shallow at times when the narrator rushed through facts. She glossed over certain periods, and at times characterized others (such as the other former female presidential candidate) in a strong, negative fashion but then didn't explain in detail. This made me question her factual presentation at times.

...reveals that Ingrid is as of yet still alive. An (edited) videotape shows her in the jungle, visibly shaken, confirming that she's being held by the FARC and also blames the government for letting kidnapping victims sit in limbo, among other things. Look it up for more info. So she's not dead yet, as far as we know.

The book was written before all this happened, but still gives a fair look at many of the problems in Colombia. Yes, the political class was originally to blame for social inequity, still is, but now the Narcos, FARC and Autodefensas are about equally responsible for terror and chaos. The U.S. really should rethink it's role in this mess too...

I lived in Colombia and worked at the American Embassy from 1988 until 1990, during which time I met - or at least heard of - many of the people mentioned in this book. After leaving Colombia, I lost touch with what was going on. Ingrid Betancourt's amazing book not only brought me back to the horror of the late 80's - Galan's death, the bombins and other atrocities waged by Pablo Escobar, but also brought me up to date on the current political realities in Colombia. Knowing that she has been kidnapped, I read the book to see why. It's obvious that she has managed to seriously irritate every power center in Colombia: the political establishment; the narcos; the guerillas; the paramilitaries. I read this book in one day, but its message will live with me for a long time. Colombia needs politicians like Ingrid Betancourt. As a mother, I also sympathise with her when she had to sacrifice the right to keep her children by her side in exchange for their safety. I can only hope and pray that she is released by her kidnappers, although I don't hold much hope at this point in time (more than 3 months later). Viva Ingrid!