The Gift of Life: Female Spirituality and Healing in Northern Peru

Prior to THE GIFT OF LIFE, little had been written about the role women play in healing and shamanism in Northern Peru. Part of the reason for this oversight had to do with the way European colonization brought the concept of "witchcraft" to Peru, and the fact that Peruvian women who practiced traditional healing arts were frequently beaten and tortured until they confessed to standard European-style "witchcraft" practices. Author Bonnie Glass-Coffin was trained as an anthropologist, so she knew that women have historically played a large part in shamanism from looking at the ancient sculptures of the Moche and Chimu, which both portray women involved in healing arts. With the intention to find and interview modern-day women shamans in Peru, Glass-Coffin set out to do exactly that. Bonnie Glass-Coffin shares the stories from five female curanderas (shamans) she met with between April 1988 and September 1989. Her extraordinary book, THE GIFT OF LIFE, describes the daily life of these female curanderas and the story of how they became healers, and includes black and white photographs of their mesas (curing altars) and healing herbs (plants such as the San Pedro cactus). Glass-Coffin's background in anthropology and her accounts of her experiences living in Peru as she grew up give this book a unique feeling of personal relevance and social perspective.I was impressed that THE GIFT OF LIFE does not shy away from describing the ways curanderas have used their spiritual powers on some occasions for sorcery. Glass-Coffin describes "dano" as intended harm by sorcery, and tells stories and includes pictures of how Peruvians have discovered and dealt with the harmful magic of others. She also describes some of the differences between male and female healers in Peru -- such as the way female curanderas tend to involve patients more directly in their healing. I was also impressed that Glass-Coffin described her own personal involvement being healed by curanderas, giving this book tremendous warmth. The first-hand accounts of what it feels like to suffer as the recipient of a dano help the reader better understand the way our thoughts and feelings affect one another.I give this book my highest recommendation to anyone who is interested in ancient traditional ways of healing, wishes to know what is unique about women healers, and is intrigued by reading stories about how our thoughts and feelings affect others.

We have all enjoyed the charming and entertaining look at sorcery and witchcraft as experienced by the fictional Harry Potter. No less interesting and fascinating is Bonnie Glass-Coffin's realistic look at sorcery and shamanism as they exist in South America today. "The Gift of Life" incorporates Glass-Coffin's extensive research as a talented anthropologist with her own personal healing experiences to produce a highly readable and well-documented book on female shamans (healers) in Northern Peru. She provides a history of sorcery and healing in South America, a contextual explanation and description of the healing practices of five different female shamans she met while in Peru, and an examination of gender and socioeconomic differences in the world of spiritual healing. Academic rigor does not preclude a "good read". Scholars and general readers alike will be pleased with this book. When I loaned the book to a friend who has traveled in Peru, she returned it quickly, noting "This is too good not to have a copy of my own!" I recommend it highly.

This most engaging book offers a first hand anthropological/sociological look at healing rituals as performed by several women healers in Northern Peru. The book is made richer and more compelling by Glass-Coffin's accounts of her personal growth as a result of her experiences with these gifted healers. This book is a a rich accounting of those experiences. It is not often that one finds such a blend of academic scholarship and personal sharing of self.

What kind of world view requires shamans (curanderas)? How do we make sense out of such phenomena? Bonnie Glass-Coffin's very readable and enjoyable book introduces the reader to the pre-contact world of the Peruvian Indians, and links that reality to the post-contact trauma of the people today. Based on more than five years of field work, the "Gift of Life" is a true gift to anyone who is fascinated by different cultural ways of knowing, and the forms of cultural resistance and adaptation that enable a society to endure. This volume is a very important addition to the anthropology of religion and to the field of women's studies. The balance of research, first person accounts, and interviews provide a wonderful forum for understanding the function spirituality has in the lives of the oppressed and marginalized. Dr. Glass-Coffin understands the nuances of ritual, adding a richness to the manner in which she describes, evaluates, and analyzes the historical and social structures of contemporary Peruvian curanderas and their practices. The researcher, the scholar, the student, as well as the casual reader will find this attention to the lived reality of the people very valuable. The first part of the book introduces the reader to a variety of aspects relating to shamanism. These include issues of sorcery, dualism, world view, and healing traditions. This is followed by stories of five women healers, and descriptions of their social-cultural milieu and methods of healing. Glass-Coffin, in the best tradition of anthropological fieldwork, describes how she became an active participant observer to the rituals and lives of the curanderas. This leads the reader into a vibrant encounter with the cultural constructions and understandings of healing spirituality that is present in Northern Peru today. The final section of the "The Gift of Life" examines and discusses issues of patriarchy and gender, the use of symbols and religious experience, the feminine approach to God, and the role of transformation of self in shamanic healing. The use of Och's Five Part Model of Healing is particularly useful in summarizing the processes discussed in the book. Glass-Coffin's academic rigor makes this book an important tool for the classroom, as it opens up the complexity of social stratification, culture change, women's spheres of power, and issues of poverty. I use this book as a primary text in my own course on the Anthropology of Shamanism. It is a book that students enjoy and that avails itself to a variety of interpretations and discussions. While I also use Marjorie Balzer's book ("Shamanic Worlds") and Stacey Schaffer and Peter Furst's "People of the Peyote," I have found that "The Gift of Life: Female Spirituality and Healing in Northern Peru," is a text that incorporates the major themes and issues of shamanism into a forum that is accessible and extremely readable. Footnotes are well placed and concise, the Spanish-

The Gift of Life reveals a wonderful combination of beautiful storytelling and academic, anthropological research. Glass-Coffin offers a look into the personal experiences of women in Peru, what guides and heals them. It is also an account of the author's personal journey, which is gripping and powerful. Highly recommended.