“Karttunen has identified a fascinating topic in
the lives and roles of interpreters, guides, and informants to missionaries,
explorers, soldiers: world-bridging mediators, the ultimate aliens…These figures
form a memorable group, the admonishing statues in abandoned temples. Would make
a great PBS documentary.” Kirkus Reviews
“Fascinating, completely
original, and innovative.” Deborah Tannen, author of You Just Don’t
Understand
This is a fascinating book. It explores the lives of
translators who became indispensable go-betweens when utter strangers met, and
does so with remarkable insight and detachment.” William H. McNeill, author of
The Rise of the West
“This is a very original and important book
that is also compellingly readable…a significant contribution to the study of
the dynamics of encounters between cultures…terrific stories.” Jane Hill,
University of Arizona
“An outstanding first-hand contribution on
intercultural communication, above all on interpretation, translating, and
understanding or misunderstanding…in actual encounters which occurred in the
Americas and elsewhere.” Miguel León-Portilla, author of The Broken
Spears
"What a stunning accomplishment it is. I read the Paraske part
first, because the book fell open there, and found it moving and exquisitely
written. And more, such gorgeous story-telling and imaginative but responsible
recreation of other times and places." Roger Lass, Professor, University of Cape
Town, South Africa
"I have learned a lot from Between Worlds
about many people I knew little or nothing about before, and the analyses are
tremendously thought-provoking." Leanne Hinton, University of California,
Berkeley
"Congratulations on Between Worlds. You're a great
story teller…original and even more interesting as they are real people. Our
Thursday morning English class was fascinated by the theme. If the International
Women's Club plans go through for an English Library, I'll certainly promote
your book." Patricia Reese de Valencia, Mérida, Yucatan
"The
magnanimous use of words both stuns and fascinates. It never fatigues…the words
and episodes simply float from one to the next and pull the reader along as if
one were sitting in the front row of the dress circle watching scenes evolve on
stage." Leena Lindqvist, linguist and English teacher,
Finland
"Paraske's story had a haunting poignancy for me that
surpassed those of Dońa Marina, Gaspar Antonio, and Guaman Poma. The losses
suffered by an entire people--the Aztec, Maya, and Inca--overwhelm that of any
particular person. But we can best understand the destruction of an entire
culture by looking at individual lives." Rosemary Stubbs, public school teacher,
Los Angeles
"The penetrating chapter on Dońa Luz reads as
compellingly as a suspense novel." Emily Socolov, folklorist
"My name
is Jesús, one of Luz's grandsons. My mother is very happy with the book you sent
her." Jesús Villaneuva Hernández,Mexico City
"Thank you for
the new world you opened for me." Sylvia Hernández, actress and playwright,
Houston
“I
wrote a thesis about David Malo who I thought was also a mediator of the
in-betweens. I wish I had your book when I was still writing. Mahalo for the
inspiration.” Noelani Arista,
Oahu
