Importance of Mayuelas, Guatemala

Mayuelas is the small town where Claudia’s Tia Soila lives. Mayuelas is described in the memoir as being “hot and humid” with “arid soil” (27). The town is severely impoverished and Claudia reflects that most of the people in Mayuelas are simply trying to “survive with what they have” (27). One of the most notable features of Mayuelas is the trashy river where people like Tia Soila go to dump their trash. Claudia generally dislikes Mayuelas, though she loves Tia Soila.