Viva explores the growing role of women in Latin America focussing in particular on the construction of gender through political activism and the centrality of gender, class and ethnicity to the ideological construct of `the nation'.

`The authors are to be congratulated on compiling a book that does not present a sterotypical image of popular protest: there is a balanced mix of forms of protest political and popular - and a diversity of sites, urban and rural. This is not a book which aims to challenge our understanding and analysis of women's involvement in building and transforming the societies of Latin America. Racliffe and Westwood have successfully created an original piece of work that fills a niche, and its structure and content should encourage others to consider what are the forms of female protest.' - Ecumene

Sarah A. Radcliffe is lecturer in Geography at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London.,
Sallie Westwood is senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Leicester.