First published 2002
Ingrid Betancourt returns to Colombia after years in France, determined to clean up her country's politics. Born into a privileged Colombian family and educated abroad, she could have stayed safe in her comfortable diplomatic life. Instead she plunges into the dangerous world of Colombian politics, where drug cartels and corrupt officials control the system. As a female politician in a male-dominated field, Betancourt faces constant threats while exposing the mafia connections in President Samper's elections. She survives two assassination attempts as she campaigns against the structural corruption that keeps Colombia trapped in misery. Her presidential candidacy in 2002 puts her directly in the crosshairs of the same forces she seeks to destroy. This autobiographical account reveals the personal cost of fighting a system where speaking truth can mean death, and where one woman's courage stands against an entire network of criminal power.
Genres: historical-fiction, feminism, crime, autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, activism
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, fish-out-of-water, political-intrigue, underdog
Setting: Colombia, France
Period: 21st Century
Paperback · Roots and Leaves
Content warnings: death, violence