Lunch and Learn: "Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide" by Pablo Leon

Co-presented with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights

This fall, grab your favorite lunch at noon and tune in to virtual conversations with the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System on topics from repairing the effects of racial injustice to fighting for equitable access to recovering from exile and loss. Let’s learn together!

Lunch and Learn returns with special guest Pablo Leon in conversation with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George's County Memorial Library System discussing his new book, "Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide."

Registration not required. Click on the YouTube video linked below to stream the program live or watch the recording later.

About the Book:

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?

About the author: 

Pablo Leon is a Guatemalan author and artist based in LA, working in TV animation and comics. An Eisner Award nominee for The Journey, he also illustrated the Miles Morales graphic novel series for Scholastic and Marvel. His clients include Disney, Warner Bros, and Nickelodeon. His debut as writer/artist, Silenced Voices (Harper Alley), and his animated short Remember Us—an Academy Award qualifier—reflect his passion for historical memory. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking with his unhelpful cats: Agave, Moth, and Midna.