The United States has been committing atrocities since its inception. I’m not being hyperbolic. I am stating a fact. Most U.S. citizens have a very limited and misinformed view of Puerto Rico. The history and current relationship between the United States and this colony is not something that many people know too much about. The United States acquired Puerto Rico from Spain in 1898 and since then it has subjected it to its rule. The US government turned Puerto Rico into a single crop economy and the effects of this financial misstep can be felt today. From sterilizing Puerto Rican women without their knowledge or consent, to infecting people with cancer, the history and doings of the US government are an indictment of the tyranny of imperialism.

Puerto Rico has never been given the chance to govern herself. After more than a century of exploitation I am not sure that independence is even possible but the deepest recesses of my heart are screaming, “Que viva Puerto Rico libre!”

This book is well researched and beautifully written. I think everybody should read it. I think everybody should know about how Puerto Rico fought for independence and how those who fought hardest paid with their lives. Knowing our history can only make us better.