THE GUATEMALA READER by Mark D. Walker (Guatemala)

The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives, Amazing Stories
by Mark D.  Walker (Guatemala 1971-73
Million Mile Walker
194 pages
Ages 16-18
May 2024
$9.99 (Paperback)

Mark Walker has studied and written about Guatemala for fifty years, and in this book, he focused on some of the extraordinary people of Guatemala and their amazing stories.

Guatemala draws up to 1.8 million tourists per year, whose visits start in the largest city in Central America with brief visits to ancient Mayan ruins and contemporary Maya villages, which provide a partial folkloric understanding of Guatemalan society. Over the years, Mark traveled to places most Guatemalans have never seen. He has used encounters with ordinary Guatemalans, and stories from local Mayan leaders, advocates, writers, and poets to bring a new appreciation and understanding of this country.

Maps, graphs, fact sheets, and photos support 19 stories to provide insights into the inner workings of Guatemalan society.

The “Yin and Yang of Travel Series,” transports the reader to the far-off reaches of the country and includes some of his “saddest pleasures”-horrendous journeys, which “gave him eyes.”

The remaining stories focus on contemporary Guatemala, from the impact of the Peace Corps over the last 60 years to the dynamics leading to the ongoing immigration crisis, ending with an insightful overview of Guatemala’s political, cultural, and economic life with a new section at the end about how individuals can make a difference through their actions and philanthropy.

Mark Walker (Guatemala 1971-73)

Mark Walker (Guatemala 1971-73) has spent over forty years working in the developing world. He went to Phoenix as a Senior Director for Food for the Hungry, worked with other groups like Make-A-Wish International, and was the CEO of Hagar USA, a Christian-based organization supporting survivors of human trafficking.

His book, Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, according to the Midwest Review, “…it is more than just another travel memoir. It is an engaged and engaging story of one man’s physical and spiritual journey of self-discovery….”

His second book My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road is the 2023 BEST TRAVEL BOOK of the Peace Corps Writer’s Award. His articles have been published in Ragazine and WorldView Magazines, Literary Yard, Scarlet Leaf Review, and Quail BELL. Two of his essays were winners at the Arizona Authors Association Literary Competition. He’s a contributing writer for “Revue Magazine,” “The Authors Show,” “The Wanderlust Journal” and the “Literary Traveler.”

You can read more about Mark at www.MillionMileWalker.com