Books by Joan Jara
An Unfinished Song
by Joan Jara
A biography of the Chilean folksinger Victor Jara (1932-1973), killed during the country’s military coup in 1973, written by his wife, Joan Jara.
“Victor Jara was one of the most famous musicians to come out of Chile in the 1970s. He was also one of the most famous victims of the military coup. He was arrested, taken to the notorious football stadium in Santiago and tortured in the most horrible way. He was a musician known for playing the guitar and they broke every single finger and his arms before they killed him. It was absolutely horrible…Joan Jara was a British woman—she died recently—who came to Chile in the 1950s, long before the military coup…Although she went into exile after the coup, she came back in 1984 and fought for justice for her husband. It took a long, long time. Not until 2012 was the person who was held responsible for Victor Jara’s murder found guilty and extradited to Chile to face justice. That was a huge achievement. Her story is one of incredible endurance and courage and it’s also very moving. I admire Joan Jara enormously.” Read more...
Natascha Scott-Stokes, Travel Writer
Interviews where books by Joan Jara were recommended
The best books on Chile, recommended by Natascha Scott-Stokes
Chile is a country of extremes says travel writer and translator Natascha Scott-Stokes, who has lived there for nearly two decades. She chooses five books that give a good sense of the country, from a novel by one of Chile’s great writers, to the biography of the folk singer who was brutally murdered after the 1973 military coup.
The best books on Protest Songs, recommended by Dorian Lynskey
The journalist and author tells us what happens when protest meets pop music, which book inspired Springsteen and where hip-hop is most potent today
