Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for Justice

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and gender discrimination.

“Femicide is, in this context, a hate crime, one committed against women because they are women. Ten of them take place in Mexico every single day, leaving a trail of heartbreak pierced by impunity and flanked by indignation.”

Women’s murders at the hands of violent partners were once considered crimes of passion. Today, they are called “femicide” in recognition of the fact that women are targeted based on factors connected to their gender. Establishing this upfront clarifies the seriousness of the problem and introduces the theme of Gendered Violence and Systemic Injustice as Intertwined. Rivera Garza thus immediately contextualizes Liliana’s death within a broader narrative, asking readers to see the memoir as a story of not only personal but also societal tragedy.

“Can you enjoy life while you are in pain? The question, which is not new, arises over and over again during that eternity that is mourning.”

Rivera Garza interrogates the coexistence of pleasure and pain. She wonders if someone in mourning can enjoy the daily pleasures of life, like a good meal with a friend, while grieving a loss like hers. This develops the theme of Managing Lifelong Grief by Confronting Trauma, with Rivera Garza’s word choice highlighting not only the durability of grief (it is an “eternity”) but also its repetitive nature (the same thoughts arise repeatedly).

“My body begins to freeze over as it dawns on me that, without this file, the institutional trace of my sister’s life will be lost forever. Without this file I am after, her experience on earth will be as good as nothing.”

Rivera Garza fears that her sister’s story and memory will vanish if the Mexican authorities cannot locate her decades-old case file. This realization inspires her