Leila Guerriero's 'La chiamata' recounts Silvia Lab's story of survival and rejection
Leila Guerriero's book 'La chiamata. Storia di una donna argentina' (Sur, 2025) reconstructs the tumultuous story of Silvia Lab, a woman who survived Argentina's last dictatorship and was later repudiated by her former comrades. The narrative challenges the illusion that everything is known about survival in concentration camps, drawing on works by Tzvetan Todorov, Primo Levi, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and Miguel Bonasso. Guerriero's account focuses on the complex dynamics of victimhood and memory, highlighting how Lab was transformed into a non-hero by her peers, similar to Jaime Dri's story in Bonasso's 'Ricordo della morte'.
Key facts
- Leila Guerriero is the author of 'La chiamata. Storia di una donna argentina'.
- The book was published by Sur in 2025.
- It tells the story of Silvia Lab, a survivor of Argentina's last dictatorship.
- Lab was repudiated by her former companions.
- The book references Tzvetan Todorov's 'Facing the Extreme'.
- It references Primo Levi's 'The Drowned and the Saved'.
- It references Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich'.
- It references Miguel Bonasso's 'Ricuerdo de la muerte' about Jaime Dri.
Entities
Artists
- Leila Guerriero
- Silvia Lab
- Tzvetan Todorov
- Primo Levi
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- Miguel Bonasso
- Jaime Dri
Institutions
- Sur
Locations
- Argentina