less ▁and ▁troubles ome ▁from ▁an ▁early ▁age , ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁mother ▁often ▁pray ▁and ▁keep ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁" vari ous ▁bene vol ent ▁entities " ▁to ▁help ▁them ▁raise ▁their ▁child . ▁The ▁narr ative ▁con ve ys ▁deep ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁rich ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Sal ud , ▁a ▁story ▁root ed ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁when ▁the ▁Sp ani ards ▁came ▁to ▁colon ize ▁the ▁island . ▁But ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Sal ud ▁goes ▁further ▁back ▁than ▁colon ization , ▁with ▁an ec d otes ▁and ▁he ars ay ▁from ▁the ▁vill agers ' ▁old ▁stories ▁of ▁the ▁past . ▁Ort iz ▁Co fer ▁uses ▁such ▁story t elling ▁techniques ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁relativ ity ▁of ▁historical ▁events , ▁and ▁to ▁offer ▁a ▁historical ▁narr ative ▁that ▁begins ▁with ▁a ▁non - E uro cent ric ▁perspective . ▁ ▁Story t elling ▁and ▁truth ▁ ▁Jud ith ▁Ort iz ▁Co fer ▁notes ▁that ▁switching ▁between ▁the ▁pers pect ives ▁of ▁Mar is ol ▁and ▁Gu zm án ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁aut obi ographical ▁style ▁of ▁her ▁pro se . ▁T alk ing ▁to ▁Rafael ▁O cas io , ▁Professor ▁of ▁Spanish ▁at ▁Ag nes ▁Scott ▁College , ▁she ▁describes ▁her ▁approach ▁to ▁story t elling ▁as ▁a ▁movement ▁between ▁personal ▁and ▁public ▁narr ative , ▁recogn izing ▁the ▁deeply ▁individual ▁experiences ▁of ▁her ▁characters , ▁and ▁also ▁giving ▁voice ▁to ▁the ▁collect ive ▁experiences ▁they ▁share ▁with ▁others ▁in ▁the ▁communities ▁that