03312nam a2200253Ia 4500 332478 20200124020527.0 030915e2013 000 0aeng d 9781494245993 evl 23 P.R. 920.72 M553m Mercado Torres, Doris. 253092 Local The armor of love and hope a memoir by Doris Mercado ; Roberto Cabello-Argandoña, editor. Moorpark, California Floricanto Press 2013. 308 pages 23 centimeters Mercado<U+2019>s memoir chronicles how a middle child in a large family experiences love, forgiveness and hope despite a lifetime of abuse, neglect and abandonment in the mountains of Puerto Rico. The memoir opens with scenes of an idyllic childhood. Mercado lived in a small town outside Ponce, Puerto Rico, where her life included colorful characters in a bustling community. There were eight children at the beginning of Mercado<U+2019>s story, all battling to use a single bathroom and hairbrush. Doris<U+2019> mother, Lina, worked as a seamstress. She was stern, but she encouraged 4-year-old Doris to read the newspaper. Doris<U+2019> father was well-liked and played affectionately with the children in their chaotic but happy household. Within two years, two more boys were born into the Mercado family; both needed extensive medical attention. The strain took its toll, and finally, the family moved in with Doris<U+2019> beloved grandmother in the mountain town of Jayuya. After the move, Doris<U+2019> life deteriorated. Her mother beat her repeatedly with a broomstick, and Doris spent many days nursing badly bruised limbs. Life continued to fall apart for the Mercado clan, particularly when Doris<U+2019> paternal grandmother invited Lina and the youngest children to New York for a fresh start. Doris and five of her siblings were left in the care of their father, although it was 14-year-old Doris who assumed chief responsibility. Within days of her mother<U+2019>s departure, Doris<U+2019> father also walked out without explanation, leaving Doris and the others to fend for themselves. This living arrangement continued for another three years. Doris warned the children to keep their situation secret, so they wouldn<U+2019>t alert the authorities. This profoundly sad story of neglect is told in simple, direct language. Doris<U+2019> capacity for forgiveness is astonishing, as is her single-minded focus on the love she feels for the brothers and sister left in her care. She eventually moved to the U.S., and her reunification with her parents was filled with more pain and abuse. Mercado<U+2019>s reaching adulthood in one piece is remarkable; arriving with her soul intact is miraculous. A straightforward, moving story about resilience. Mercado Torres, Doris. 253092 Local Puerto Rican families Massachusetts Biography. 155338 Local Hispanic American homeless persons Massachusetts Biography. 235372 Local Puerto Ricans Massachusetts Biography. 155373 Local Families Puerto Rico Biography. 94570 Local Jayuya P.R Social conditions 20th century. 117058 Local Ponce (P.R.) Social conditions 20th century. Local 295790 249038 249038 0 0 ddc 0 920_720000000000000_M553M 0 evpr 205892 10 10 B 2016-05-27 Doris Mercado 535928 0 920.72 M553m 80000002554171 2016-05-27 00:00:00 r:332478 z:Donado por Doris Mercado, su autora, el 12 de agosto de 2015 6