{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "Historical nonfiction like A Flower Traveled in My Blood can feel uncomfortably voyeuristic. I wasn't aware of the military dictatorship in Argentina — Chile under Pinochet, yes, but Argentina no. For as much human kindness and empathy as there is, humanity can demonstrate a near limitless appetite for violence and cruelty. Both cruelty and violence were in ample supply in Argentina during the late 70s and early 80s. The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo were formed in 1977 to locate missing children kidnapped during the reign of the military junta running from approximately 1976 to 1983. The reign of the junta was, of course, tacitly approved and materially supported by the government of the United States. This was a pattern of behavior on the part of the United States that was claimed to target the expansion of communism and left wing ideology. The practical impact was pain, suffering and trauma on a massive scale across South America. Up to 30,000 people were disappeared during the reign of the Argentine military dictatorship. The abuelas, with the help of American geneticist Mary-Claire King, have located about 140 children kidnapped or born in detention centers during this period. They also helped establish genetic and investigative infrastructure in Argentina, leaving this and those they located as an enduring legacy. A Flower Traveled in My Blood is a deeply personal, traumatic and, often, hopeful tale. The drive and focus necessary to pursue the truth under threat, as the abuelas did, is nothing short of incredible. They shared their struggle, their blood, their disappointments and their joys. That their struggle coincided with advancements in technology to enable the identification of victims both living and dead is serendipitous. The entire country had been plunged into darkness and the abuelas methodically put lives back together for themselves and everyone else that suffered through it.",
  "path": "/reading/books/9781668017142/a-flower-traveled-in-my-blood",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-07T00:00:00Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:sttgf52vkk46f6yuknvqxvgh/site.standard.publication/self",
  "tags": [
    "politics",
    "history",
    "nonfiction"
  ],
  "title": "A Flower Traveled in My Blood"
}