From Mountains to Morales, Stories of Bolivia: Windows Into Andean Culture, History, and Ecosystems

"From Mountains to Morales, Stories of Bolivia" reflects a love of Bolivia, its diverse culture, geology, and ecology. Drawing on the author’s Peace Corps experience, it highlights some of the places and rituals that distinguish this landlocked Andean nation. This is also a contemplation of the country’s history as viewed through the lens of a small sampling of Bolivians. These include Humbertó del Rosario Torres Ortíz, the grandfather of the author’s wife, and the former comandante general of the Bolivian Armed Forces, who played a principal role defining the country’s contemporary history: From the Chaco War pitting Bolivia against Paraguay in the 1930s, to the Bolivian Agrarian Revolution of 1952, to the arrival of Evo Morales.