Land of Childhood is the memoir of a poet from El Salvador who grew up at the turn of the 20th century. Specifically covering her childhood, it also includes the history of her family, some history of the area, and stories of friends and other inhabitants of the village. Each chapter acts as a mostly self-contained story, often depending on the previous chapters only in that it doesn't reintroduce people already mentioned or restate facts already explained. Its page count is short, but it covers a lot of ground and seems to encourage reading slowly, particularly during beautifully descriptive passages.

One of the first things I noticed was how skillfully the author evokes the setting, painting a full picture that's easily accessible even to those who have little knowledge of El Salvador. This English translation contains what I consider an appropriate scattering of Spanish words and phrases, bringing authenticity and conveying concepts that may not have come across as clearly otherwise. For me, a few years of high school Spanish were more than enough to understand, but for those without that background, this edition also includes a glossary that can be referenced as needed.

The second thing that shines through is the author's happiness and positivity. From the very beginning, she presents a beautiful land, a peaceful life, and a loving family, and her love for these is reflected on every page. Although she covers topics such as the deaths of family members, the overall tone is light. The family mourns, but life goes on, and every person seems to live a happy one.

The aspects that may disturb some readers include the physical disciplining of children and a chapter about cock fighting, but these can easily be skipped without a significant impact to the reader's experience. If you are such a reader and would like to take this approach, I recommend skipping "Magical Moments in Time" and "Chabela Tacuátzin" for the disciplining and "The Altar Cloth" for the cock fighting. Other parts of the book have only brief mentions rather than depictions.

I should also address the fact that the book uses some outdated racial terminology and includes a few instances of people making racist statements. I want to note, however, that I was impressed by the author herself, who consistently came across as socially conscious and more progressively minded than those around her. There are instances of her acknowledging her privilege, reflecting on certain issues even as a child, and summarizing historical conquest and colonialism with thoughtfulness towards the victims. People of many different races have their stories told in this book, all respectfully, and I never got the sense that the author was excluding anyone or portraying them in a distorted way. In fact, I got the sense that her own mixed heritage had given her what was perhaps for that time an unusual degree of insight and acceptance.

Overall, I'm of the opinion that everything this book includes is important as a realistic portrayal of its setting and the people who inhabited it. I appreciate that the author didn't try to cover certain things up or brush over them. I found her personally to be likeable, and I very much enjoyed her narrative style. This book may not be right for those seeking drama and excitement, but if you want to step into the quiet beauty of another time and hear stories of the people who lived there joyfully, this memoir is the one for you.