Kidnapped: A Diary of My 373 Days in Captivity

In 1999, the plane carrying then 18-year-old Kalli and her father was hijacked by a leftist guerilla group and flown to a Colombian jungle, where the passengers were held captive for just over a year. Kalli kept a diary of her experience, reprinted here in a competent translation that retains Kalli's vivid intensity, even as she's explaining the fear and tedium of daily life as a hostage. At its best, Kalli's account offers a sharp examination of the relationships between guerillas and hostages: ""my mind was unable to process the difference between an event that for some, was pure happiness, and for others, an exercise in pure humiliation."" Unfortunately, the publishers have made an error in reproducing the diary on its own, giving Kalli's amateur effort sole responsibility for detailing the complex predicament. Without outside accounts of the situation-news reports, government records, etc.-to illuminate the big picture, delineate major players and cover the logistics, the narrative loses focus. For instance, the facility by which Kalli communicates with her family back home, and even receives clothing and food from them, is never explained, a perplexing omission. Kalli's diary contains powerful writing about a unique and compelling situation, but a well-edited excerpt, supported by outside reporting, would have made a stronger impact. Illustrations.