Eva Peron: A Biography

In this best-selling biography, French and Argentine journalist Alicia Dujovne Ortiz examines the mythology that surrounds Eva Peron as she penetrates the complexities behind Peron's ever-lasting allure. Born in 1919, the illegitimate daughter of destitute Argentine farmers, Eva Duarte spent her adolescence aspiring to the grand and glorious fame of the theater. At the first opportunity, she fled the deprivation of her origins and the backwaters of her poor village for the glittering lights of Buenos Aires. However, because she lacked both formal training and talent to be an actress, Eva quickly realized that it would take many years of hardship for even a small chance at becoming the star of her generation. It was during this time of disillusion that Eva met Juan Peron. Abandoning her pursuit of stardom, Eva concentrated all of her efforts on helping the future dictator of Argentina ascend politically. Her theatrical ambition was substituted with the desire not only to launch her husband's career, but to remake herself as a figure of providence for the millions of impoverished workers of her country. With access to the newly declassified archives of the Peron government, Ortiz has uncovered new information, including connections between Juan Peron and the German Nazi party. Taking into account every source of information - many never available to any other previous biographer - Ortiz has tapped into dozens of personal testimonies, including that of Father Hernan Benitez, Eva's personal confessor, as well as Eva's own private memoirs.