Synopsis
For twelve-year-old Diego and his family, home is the San Sebastian Women’s Prison in Cochabamba, Bolivia. His parents farmed coca, a traditional Bolivian medicinal plant, until they got caught in the middle of the government’s war on drugs. Diego’s adjusted to his new life. His parents are locked up, but he can come and go: to school, to the market to sell his mother’s hand-knitted goods, and to work as a “taxi," running errands for other prisoners. But then his little sister runs away, earning his mother a heavy fine. The debt and dawning realization of his hopeless situation make him vulnerable to his friend Mando’s plan to make big money, fast. Soon, Diego is deep in the jungle, working as a virtual slave in an illegal cocaine operation. As his situation becomes more and more dangerous, he knows he must take a terrible risk if he ever wants to see his family again.
KLIATT
The author, who writes about the treatment of children in poor countries, dedicates this Cocalero novel "To those we keep in cages." Twelve-year-old Diego is in the San Sebastian Women's Prison, Cochabamba, Bolivia, along with his mother and young sister. Families without much money to bribe guards languish for years for insignificant crimes. Diego can leave during the day, sometimes, to run errands for a small amount of money—he calls himself a taxi. His friend Mando, a little older, also looks for any job. The two are lured into working far from home in the cocaine trade. Diego is fortunate to escape after abuse, long labor, exposure to caustic chemicals, and a brief introduction to the drug. Sacred Leaf will be the sequel to Diego's adventures following his caring rescue by a rural family. This book should be in junior and senior high school libraries. The story is gripping, well written, and informative. It will attract reluctant readers and still please those who read more widely. The Author's Note explains the unique place of the coca plant in Bolivian culture; the glossary is helpful as well.