Esperando bajo un árbol, vestida de gaucha. Ana Beker y su viaje a caballo por América

Abstract

In 1950 and backed by Eva Perón, a young female Argentinian rider set out on a solo horse trip from Buenos Aires to Ottawa. However, the book resulting from the journey, The Courage to Ride [Amazona de las Américas], wasn´t published until 1957, once Peronism was proscribed and all mention of its leader was banned in public discourse. Beyond many constraints of femininity and inspired by the desire to overcome the prevailing male chauvinism regarding women´s accomplishments in every area, but especially in those related to physical strain and mental endurance, Beker’s journey also implied a good deal of social and narrative skills that granted her access to dozens of American officials and people in general along the way.

In the current article, we dwell not only on some of Beker’s explicit accounts of the different highlights of her unparalleled deed, but we also undertake the task of considering the mechanisms by which the author creates her narrative voice. The article also includes the raising of a wide set of questions as to what sort of social network could have allowed Beker to better meet her goals.