Mi vestido verde esmeralda by Alister Ramirez Marquez recounts the life story of Clara, born poor in isolated, rural Colombia in 1900, who makes her way, after a mythic journey through forests, mountains and swamps to the western region of the Quindio, to the city of Armenia, now the heart of coffee and banana production. This remarkable novel, first published in 2003, is the tale of Clara's adventurous journey and subsequent rise to prosperity as the owner of a farm and restaurant and mother of six, ending with years of political strife and the dissolution of her family. The novel provides...