Breaking the Silence - Nieto, Maria J.

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Résumé :
The echo of women screaming and children crying could be heard in the streets of Madrid as bombs fell crushing building and leaving torn and disfigured bloody bodies hanging from the ruins. It was 1930 and a Civil War had started in Spain. Breaking the Silence is a vividly realistic and powerful story of a 6 year old little girl trying to understand and survive in a world where fathers kill sons, sons kill fathers and brothers kill each other. The little girl's name is Mari, and her world is filled with fear and confusion as she imitates the marching steps of soldiers using their descriptive language and names given to the enemy. Much tragedy occurs in the life of this little child during the long years of war and post war years under and mind altering dictator. But there are also moments of comedy, tenderness and compassion in her life during those terrible days. The reader's eyes may sometimes fill with tears, but also will sometimes there will be bursts of laughter. The end of Breaking the Silence is both unexpected and electrifying.

Biographie:
The author spent early childhood and adolescence in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, and after the war and under a ruthless mind controlling dictator. After graduating from high school in the United States, the author joined the United States Navy spending four years during the Korean War in the Navy's Hospital Corps Psychiatric Services. After and honorable discharge the author graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia with a degree in Nursing Education followed by graduate and post graduate degrees in Mental Health Education and Counseling Psychology. After teaching psychiatric nursing in Philadelphia for several years the author accepted a position with the Department of Public health and worked in Mental Health with the Indian Health Service serving Navajo and Acoma Pueblo populations in New Mexico. After some time the author then moved to Albuquerque where she worked for many years in the University of New Mexico's Department of Emergency Psychiatric Services. The author is now retired and lives in New Mexico with her horse.