This book shares the life narrative of Deysi Quiñones to shed light on the intricate relationship between her life and the wider cultural, political, social, and historical contexts of the Dominican Republic. Deysi’s life narrative is a microhistory that sheds light on the intersection of gender, violence, and poverty under the Trujillo regime and in its wake. Her story recovers pieces of rural life, which has been disrupted, transformed, and made less visible by the neoliberal order. It emphasizes the significance of expanding the Trujillo regime archive to encompass a broader spectrum of perspectives and attract more scholarly attention to Petán Trujillo’s legacies. Deysi’s life story can provide meaningful lessons and insights for today in the realm of gendered violence and children’s exploitation. This book is intended as reading for sociology, gender and women’s studies, history, Latin American politics, and Caribbean and Latin American Studies courses and for a general educated audience. The book intersects with topics that are widely covered in research in the humanities and social sciences and is appropriate for both advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. The book can appeal to human rights activists, novelists, and individuals and organizations interested in history, politics, authoritarian societies, and gendered violence.

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction: Gender and Violence: La Vida Trágica de una Niña Tia Deysi The Essential Perspective of Gender and Violence Unveiling the Layers of Tia Deysi’s Life Narrative Historical Shifts and Trends Self and Identity Political Views and Ideologies Memory and Inclusion Tia Deysi, Petan: Dominican History and Memory 2 "Fate" and "Trauma": The Creation of a Life Story Spawned from Herminia’s Whim The Curse More Evidence With Papa’s Gun Running Scared Unfathomable: The Abandonment Crushing Events Bad Decision-Makers Almost Raped Moments of Joy The Ultimate Betrayal of Trust Author’s Corner: Context and Interpretation 3 Echoes of Fate and Trauma: From Childhood to Adolescence Work and Punishment and No Love Sick and Slandered Fear and Obedience A Teacher Makes a Difference Finding God and Safety A Predator Father First Love Dangerous Beauty “Sold” to Petan Trujillo Learning to Please Petan Author’s Corner: Context and Interpretations 4 Being One of Petán’s Women in Bonao Power and Fear Intimacy with Petan Special Conversation Beauty and Glamour The Other Women The End of the Affair God and Survival Leaving Bonao Making Sense of the Petan Experience Beaten Up Saying Goodbye to Mercedita March 2022: Returning to Bonao for the First Time Since 1960 Author’s Corner: Context and Interpretations 5 The Warrior Mother: The Warrior Woman Gualey 1961–1965 Love, Loss, Work, and Motherhood The Greatest Joy Herminia’s Love Motherhood, Marital Conflict, and Entrepreneurship My Brother’s Assassination Life in Santiago: 1972–1977 A Hard Knock Life Back in Capotillo: 1977–1983 Guaricano (1983): Divorce, New Beginnings, and New Challenges Author’s Corner: Context and Interpretations 6 Contemplations and Reckonings The Filters of Age and Gender Work, Sacrifice, and Pain Looking Back: Tia Deysi’s “Regrets” Telling One’s Life: Tia Deysi’s Insight on her Life Narrative 7 Epilogue: Five Reflections Gender and Violence: Bridging the Dominican Past and Present Thinking Methods Interviewing My Aunt Dealing with Problems Biases Translation Editing The Formalities of the Interview and Publication Processes On Power Gender in Contemporary Dominican Society “Foundations of Despotism” Dominican Memory Borron y Cuenta Nueva: A Closer Look “Facilities of Memory” and Memory Work Memory of the Martyrs of the Resistance The Narrative of Redemption Trujillo in Dominican Culture The Trujillo Ven a Ver Discourse: Linking Dictator Trujillo with the Present Corrective Impulses: “Laws of Memory”