Maya Roads: One Woman's Journey Among the People of the Rainforest by Mary Jo McConahay

Chatelaine editor's pick: This travel memoir from journalist Mary Jo McConahay gives an uncensored look at what she's seen in her decades living and working in Central America

By Vanessa Milne

Updated November 2, 2012

“The Maya tropical forest has changed more since the 1970s . . . than it had before then in the entire five hundred years since the European conquest.” So begins Mary Jo McConahay’s Maya Roads, and the truth of her statement is soon revealed — while chronicling the atrocities of war and the complex beauty of Mayan beliefs in Central America, she covers more than just mileage. This dense read weaves together the compelling tales of her personal journey and the stories of the Mayan people.

Maya Roads: One Woman's Journey Among the People of the Rainforest, by Mary Jo McConahay, $19.

— V.M.

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