The Disappeared by Gloria Whelan

The Disappeared by Gloria Whelan is about Silvia and Eduardo, a brother and sister trying to survive the harsh rule of 1977 Argentinian Government. Eduardo is captured for protesting and writing letters against the government. Silvia becomes friendly with the son of the general who had her brother arrested, in hopes that he will help her with Eduardo's release. This plan backfires on her and Silvia ends up in the prison cell next to her brother. Only the help of the despised general's wife will see their family free.

Before reading this book I didn't know anything of the Desaparecidos of Argentina. The Desaparecidos are the children who disappeared during the 1970s, who were tortured and even killed for their political beliefs. This book is a work of historical fiction, incorporating many facts in with a fictional story. I am very interested in doing some further reading on Argentina during this time period. This book was told chapter by chapter by Silvia and Eduardo as they wrote "letters of the heart" to one another during their separate ordeals. It was an excellent novel.