FORTHCOMING ON JULY 15, 2025
Available for preorder now. If you would like to preorder a signed or personalized copy, you may do so through Bedford Books in Bedford, NY.
EARLY PRAISE
“Journalist Gilliland’s enthralling debut recaps the decades-long battle by a group of Argentinian grandmothers, the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, to locate their grandchildren who were kidnapped by the junta in the 1970s…Written with the nail-biting verve of a thriller, this spotlights relentless perseverance in the face of unthinkable brutality.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“In this beautifully crafted narrative history, Haley Cohen Gilliland brings to light the stories of Argentinian grandmothers who used every method available, including nascent DNA testing, to locate the children and grandchildren ‘disappeared’ or even murdered during the dictatorship of the country’s military junta. The range of emotions is breathtaking; we learn of the horrors of disappearing, the grunt work of activism, the joys of reunion, and the pain and confusion felt by the disappeared as they try to reconcile their old and new identities. A Flower Traveled in My Blood is the riveting story of a dark history that we must not forget.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University and the creator of “Finding Your Roots.”
“History is filled with tragedy and heartbreak, redemption and hope, but nothing compares to the story of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo. These women lost their children to a brutal dictatorship, and in the same cruel act, their grandchildren were taken. Their relentless search for them led the Abuelas to defy murderous squads, a complicit society, and political and judicial barriers. Yet, they kept going, creating profound changes in international law and science along the way, while providing new answers to essential moral questions about memory and identity. Haley Cohen Gilliland found the perfect thread to tell this complex, extraordinary story, and she’s done so masterfully and with great heart. And every bit of it is true.” —Graciela Mochkofsky, author of The Prophet of the Andes
“Haley Cohen Gilliland has written an extraordinary book: a compelling family saga and a forensic detective story set against a sweeping narrative of a hundred years of Argentine history, A Flower Traveled In My Blood is also a harrowing and timely reminder of what happens when democracy succumbs to despotism.” — Adam Higginbotham, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl and Challenger.
“Haley Cohen Gilliland’s monumental account of the stolen children of Argentina is a heartbreaking and humane story of devotion and moral courage, personal and cultural trauma, unfathomable political corruption and accountability, and the complexities of personal identity in the genetic age. The Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo now have a history fitting of their astonishing rigor and inspiring grace." —Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road.
"In “A Flower Traveled in my Blood,” Haley Cohen Gilliland has delivered an unforgettable story of political crime and the unlikely detectives who worked across decades to restore their families and expose the truth about Argentina’s disappeared. Her narrative is at once a riveting read and an excavation of lasting importance."— Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ghost Wars.
“A Flower Traveled in My Blood is a poignant testament to the power of love as a form of resistance. This expertly reported tale from the former Argentina correspondent for The Economist, Haley Cohen Gilliland, honors the families who were torn apart by dictatorship and sheds light on the lengths to which people will go for the sake of their loved ones.” —Paste magazine, “The Most Anticipated Nonfiction Books and Memoirs of 2025”