Donna Whitson BRETT and Edward T. BRETT. Martyrs of Hope: Seven U.S. Missioners In Central America. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2018. pp. 309. $25.00 pb. ISBN 978-1-62698-293-2. Reviewed by Kristen SENETAR, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63103.

This book tells the stories of seven U.S. missioners who gave their lives serving the poor of Central America. Martyrs of Hope came about as a revision of the 1988 book, Murdered in Central America: The Stories of Eleven U.S. Missionaries, which was written by the same authors. Since that publication in 1988, the authors have uncovered new information regarding the missionaries. The authors wanted to dive deeper into the stories of the missionaries in the new book, Martyrs of Hope. Since there was so much new information that became available since the initial 1988 publication, not all of the eleven original missionaries were able to be included in this book. Still, Martyrs of Hope continues the central theme from the original book: martyr missionaries in Central America.

Martyrs of Hope gives readers an in-depth look at the lives and heroic witness of seven missioners. The book also discusses the complacency the United States showed toward Guatemala and El Salvador in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly during the Regan presidency, and its role in covering up massacres and assassinations. This provides more context for the reader.
The appropriate audience for this book would be anyone interested in the lives of martyr missionaries, particularly those in Central America. A background in theology or politics is not needed for readers to benefit from this book, as it provides a great starting point for learning about the work of missionaries, the injustices that have occurred throughout Central America, and the actions of the U.S. in covering up those atrocities. 

Martyrs of Hope consists of fourteen main chapters. Seven of those chapters are devoted to specific missioners. The remaining seven chapters are directed toward more political undertones, such as the Tz’utujil revolt, Guatemala after 1982, and El Salvador after 1982. These chapters add to the political information readers can gain from this book.

The seven missioners included in the book are Stanley Rother, James Miller, Dorothy Kazel, Jean Donovan, Carol “Carla” Piette, Ita Ford, and Maura Clarke. Stanley Rother was chosen because of his recent beatification. Similarly, James Miller was chosen because he is being considered for beatification. Miller and Rother were both martyred in Guatemala. The authors also chose to include four missionaries from El Salvador—Dorothy Kazel, Jean Donovan, Ita Ford, and Maura Clarke—because of the widespread attention their brutal murders received by both Catholics and non-Catholics. Carol Piette was the only individual included in this book that was not part of the original book, Murdered in Central America: The Stories of Eleven U.S. Missionaries. The authors decided to include Piette in this book because of the work she did with war refugees in El Salvador. Furthermore, with Pope Francis’s release of a new pathway to sainthood, Piette now meets the criteria for sainthood and the authors believed her story was worthy of being included with the other missionaries.

Overall, Martyrs of Hope is a welcomed addition to the current literature. Each chapter provides great insight into a single martyr who served as a missionary in Central America. The book also provides readers with relevant political information that will help build a greater understanding of the issues the missionaries faced. Anyone interested in learning more about the lives of missionaries or the injustices that occurred in Central America in the 1970s and 1980swould benefit from reading this book.