Athos; children's fiction, by Iris Rivera. Translated by Catherine E. Nelson and Toree Hempstead
Athos
By Iris Rivera; Translated from the Spanish by Catherine E. Nelson and Toree Hempstead
“Athos” is one of four stories in the children’s book Who Am I (Calibroscopio 2013) —a beautifully illustrated collection of stories that portray the real-life experiences of adopted children who found out they had been stolen from their families during a dark period of Argentine history. Between 1976-1983, during what is now known as the “Dirty War,” at least 13,000 men and women were “disappeared” by the military junta. Those accused of being dissidents were illegally detained, tortured, and—most frequently—killed. An estimated 500 children were either taken with their parents or born in captivity. This book tells the stories of some of those children.
It is about children, for children. And it is for all of us.
“Athos” is the fictionalized version of the experience of Jimena Vicario, who was taken to a detention center with her mother when she was just eight months old. Jimena neither walked nor talked in public until she was three and four years old, respectively. She lived in a private world with her dog and dolls. For eight years, her grandmother and the Abuelas of the Plaza de Mayo searched for her, and in 1983 Jimena was one of the very first children to be recovered and reunited with her biological family. One of the first, who encountered a system not yet prepared to confront the difficult decisions of caring for these children. Jimena shares her story in the hopes that “people don’t forget something like this happened. That people know and don’t ever forget.”
Read the story, Athos, here:
Read the original version, ¿Sabés, Athos? below:
Inquiry
The following has been provided by the translator:
As co-translators, Toree and I feel a sense of responsibility to broaden the conversation regarding the effects of the Dirty War and human rights abuses to an English-speaking audience. We are deeply impacted by the knowledge that such abuses happen and, here, by the personal stories of children directly affected. This is the power literature wields. It gives us a hint of the experiences of others in a way that increases our understanding, empathy, and compassion. It should make us ask the questions:
How did this happen?
Why did this happen?
What do we do about it now?
Can it happen again?
Because of the deeply personal nature of the stories and the authors who tell them, and our desire to honor the work they are doing, Toree and I traveled to Córdoba and Buenos Aires to meet with the authors and editors of this haunting and hopeful book. The personal connections forged with the authors elevates this project to a new level. Working with the authors deepened their trust of us, outsiders to this experience, and intensified our sense of urgency in bringing these stories to a larger audience. We all desire to see the stories of the children of the disappeared and the courageousness of the Grandmothers change the way we view our world. Our hope is that each reader will have a response, first of compassion, then of action.
There is an element of hope in Who Am I that we cannot fully communicate in English, and that is the title itself.
In Spanish, the word order between the question (Who am I?) and the statement (Who I am) does not change. Thus, the question and statement coexist. The editors captured beautifully the tension between the doubts and the affirmation by adding iridescent question marks, so that the meaning is altered in an instant, a constant play back and forth in the light. Yet there is a sense of resolution. In the end, it is the importance of knowing one’s identity that resonates.
We are grateful to Iris, Paula, María Teresa, Mario, Judith and Walter for sharing the gift of their hard experiences with us so that we could do our small part in contributing to their efforts with this translation. We want to be sensitive and effective advocates for knowledge and justice as we bring these children’s stories to new readers.
Iris Rivera (1950 Buenos Aires) is a celebrated author of books for children of all ages. She holds a degree in Philosophy and Pedagogy and taught in the public schools for 25 years. Rivera is an advocate for children, seniors, and those recovering from addiction, frequently using literature as a vehicle for reaching those who are hurting.Catherine E. Nelson is a literary translator specializing in contemporary Spanish literature. Her work Tea Rooms: Working Women (1934) by Luisa Carnés earned a 2019 PEN/Heim Translation Grant. Her most recent full-length publication was Lights on the Sea by Miquel Reina (AmazonCrossing 2018). Nelson is Professor of Spanish at Nebraska Wesleyan University, where she teaches language, literature, writing, and translation.
Co-Translator Toree Hempstead is a Fulbright Scholar (Spain 2019) and an emerging translator, whose expertise in Argentina language, culture, and politics made this translation possible.