An Ounce of Gold and Máxima Acuña Atalaya | Joseph Zárate
Aside from stainless-steel pans and a platinum tooth, Máxima Acuña Atalaya doesn’t own any valuable metal objects. No rings or bracelets or necklaces. No costume jewellery or precious stones. She struggles to understand the fascination people feel for gold. One icy morning in 2015, Máxima Acuña is breaking rocks on a hillside with sharp, well-aimed blows, preparing to lay the foundation for a house. Despite being less than five feet tall, she can carry stones almost twice her own weight on her back and butcher a hundred-kilo ram in minutes. When she visits the capital of Cajamarca, the ...
Source: granta.com