Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Print Length: 512 pages
SYNOPSIS
After an estimated 30,000 sons, daughters and grandchildren disappeared between 1976 through 1983 when a military junta controlled Argentina, a coalition of grandmothers resolved to learn the fate of their family members and to reclaim the grandchildren who were stolen from them.
In this nonfiction account, Haley Cohen Gilliland traces the fate of several families as she profiles the courageous women who launched protests, spurred investigations and sponsored genetic testing sites to recover the grandchildren who had been secretly given to the families of police and military officers. A Flower Traveled in My Blood is a story of determination and courage that underscores the enduring strength of family ties and the resilience of the women who defied Argentinian authorities in their pursuit of justice.
REVIEWS AND AUTHOR INFORMATION
Szalai, Jennifer, “Searching for Grandchildren Stolen during Argentina’s Dirty War.” The New York Times, July 9, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/books/review/a-flower-traveled-in-my-blood-haley-cohen-gilliland.html.
Kirkus Reviews, “A Flower Traveled in my Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland,” Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2025. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/haley-cohen-gilliland/a-flower-traveled-in-my-blood/.
Pfeiffer, Sacha, “Argentina’s Stolen Children Grapple with Finding their Place in History.” NPR, July 20, 2025. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5374095
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What does Gilliland’s book reveal about the courage and determination of the grandmothers who persisted in their search despite the multiple barriers they faced?
In what ways did advances in genetic testing assist the grandmothers in their searches? How has this technology been used in other investigations?
How has the country of Argentina been dealing with the brutalities of the past? What records remain of the estimated 30,000 people who disappeared when a military junta controlled Argentina?
In what ways were the families of the disappeared scarred by the trauma they experienced? How difficult was it for the children who were recovered to embrace their newly discovered families?
