New Graphic Novel, Silenced Voices, Explores How Silence and Survival Are Often Intertwined

Item: Silenced Voices
Author: Richetta

Posted January 10, 2026 by Richetta in #ownvoices, Book Reviews, Graphic Novel, Young Adult / 0 Comments

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New Graphic Novel, Silenced Voices, Explores How Silence and Survival Are Often Intertwined

In this moving intergenerational tale perfect for fans of Messy Roots and Illegal, Eisner-nominated creator Pablo Leon combines historical research of the Guatemalan Civil War with his own experiences as a Guatemalan immigrant to depict a powerful story of family, sacrifice, survival, and hope.
Langley Park, Maryland, 2013
Brothers Jose and Charlie know very little about their mother’s life in Guatemala, until Jose grows curious about the ongoing genocide trial of Efrain Rios Montt. At first his mother, Clara, shuts his questions down. But as the trial progresses, she begins to open up to her sons about a time in her life that she’s left buried for years.
Peten, Guatemala, 1982
Sisters Clara and Elena hear about the armed conflict every day, but the violence somehow seems far away from their small village. But the day the fight comes to their doorstep, the sisters are separated and are forced to flee through the mountains, leaving them to wonder…Have their paths diverged forever?

Silenced Voices book club — Buy on Bookshop

Silenced Voices is a generational tale that is fictional, but based on true events. Beginning in present day, Young José knows nothing of his mother’s childhood and past. But one day in 2013, he gets curious when he learns about the genocide trial of former Guatemalan president, Efrain Rios Montt. The trial triggers his mother, Clara, into deeper silence at first, but eventually serves as an opportunity for Clara to begin opening up to her sons about her childhood in Guatemala.

Guatemala in 1982

The story then flashbacks to to his mother’s memories in 1982 Guatemala. Sisters Clara and Elena live in a village that is a Q’eqchi’ Maya Community in northern Petén, Guatemala. When the fighting comes to their doorstep, you discover that the villagers are caught between the Guatemalan army and the guerillas fighting against the regime.

The acts of the army are cruel and disgusting and the villagers are not protected by either side. The army sees them as potential guerillas due to their location near the mountains. They also have violent anti-Indigenous beliefs, which meant they never intend for survivors, including children, in their raids. If you are not ready to read about this type of violence, please proceed with caution. The sisters are forced to separate in order to escape the massacre alive. As the story follows Clara, you learn about the anti-Indigenous racism that she faces both from the Guatemalan army and as a refugee. You also learn about her journey to the United States and how she establishes a new life and family. Clara’s story as a younger girl is fast-paced. It is a survival story that transitions from physical survival to emotional survival.

Present- Day Maryland – Painful Memories Resurface

The trial brings up fear and anger amongst those who survived the war and who lost family members. Jose’s brother Charlie, is interviewed on TV after the results of the trial and he angrily says, “The bare minimum you can ask from a society is justice. Justice for the silenced…to honor those who can’t speak for themselves.” It’s a quote that will make readers reflect and ponder and will definitely generate discussion in a classroom.

“It’s taken years, but Elena and I — we speak of those painful memories, because talking about the past restores our sense of dignity.” This quote made me think of how books can be used as therapy. How it’s important to share our stories even when it may take a reader time before they can discuss it with others. Sometimes it is important to give them the space to begin their own healing.

Coping in Silence

Silenced Voices is the second graphic novel that I’ve read that has dealt with how people who have immigrated from Central American countries due to war conflicts have coped with their trauma by not talking about their past – a similar coping technique that I’ve encountered with traumatized communities. I encountered this as a theme in the book, Just Another Story: A Graphic Migration Account by Ernesto Saade. It was a story about a young man and his mother’s migration journey from El Salvador. One of the key motifs that connect both of these books is the idea of coping through silence.

I think that as an educator this is important to understand and be aware of as you support families who have migrated from Central America under duress. We need to think about it as we select books and navigate discussions about these important pieces of history that our children are part of but are not known to most of the world. We need to do our due diligence of learning first.

Continuous Learning as an Educator is a Required Responsibility

As an educator who serves a large immigrant Latiné community of students, I want to learn as much as I can about the countries and situations my students are coming from. Silenced Voices taught me more than I’ve ever known about the 36 year Guatemalan Civil War. The students I serve are often like José and Charlie. I definitely recommend reading this very informative and beautifully written graphic novel.

Self-Reflection and Teaching

As an educator, I challenge you to pick up more books in 2026 to further your own learning about the students you serve. I really want to emphasize the words “your own learning” because sometimes we find out something that is new to us and then run headfirst into “teaching” it without considering the minefields we are navigating with regards to other individuals trauma. A good book that I would suggest to support that self-reflections is Get Free: Antibias Literacy Instruction for Stronger Readers, Writers, and Thinkers by Tricia Ebarvia.