Dangerous Places: Travels on the Edge

Ronald N. Harpelle is an assistant professor of history at Lakehead
University.

Rosa Jordan’s insightful account of her travels in Latin America and
the Caribbean constitutes both a cultural and political tour (along with
the author we witness poverty, racism, revolution, and simple acts of
human kindness) and a journey of self-discovery. Before her travels
began, Jordan felt constrained by life in a society caught in the chill
of the Cold War. In 1960, she left Florida and began an adventure that
would take her through Mexico, Cuba, Guyana, El Salvador, Belize,
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Peru. This
well-written and entertaining book shows us how the author’s critical
perspective on her own society was refined and extended as a result of
her travels.