This novel begins with a hollow bigoted white-gaze depiction of the aftermath of a raped American girl, whom the immigrants describe as Mexican. From there, it’s all about the folks who see her as an immigrant in her own country. So it’s not about her but about them. Then it ends with her leaving her country, her ancestral lands, to the European immigrant blowhards who raped it all. Yet Another “American dirt” tale, told by yet another European-American, signifying nothing.

The story begins with a Mexican 14yo girl being raped and abused by a young man. She wakes the following morning and walks 3 miles to a farmhouse. The woman Mary Rose lets her in tell her daughter to call the sheriff Dept and the man who raped Glory shows up demanding that Mary Rose let her come out. Sheriff arrives arrests the man but the town is taking the mans side bc of their bigotry and hatred for Mexicans. It follows the woman Mary Rose to the home she rents in town bc she’s being targeted by the whites for testifying against the man. The neighborhood is full of women who were married too young pregnant and oppressed in this small town. It speaks mostly of the oppression of women and minorities the bigotry and racism that are the hallmark of Odessa Texas and the hypocrisy of their religious beliefs and the pain of being oppressed

This is a three-dimensional journey into West Texas, deep into the hearts and souls of courageous and (some) despicable Texans. The characters jump off the page, struggling to find meaning in a brilliantly described land.

The author writes beautifully, but that’s probably the only good thing about this book. The book is full of heartbreak and sadness, and fails to deliver any meaningful plot in my opinion.

I did not care for this book. I felt the author should have developed Glory’s character and story a lot more. I enjoyed reading about the character’s lives but it didn’t tie anything together at all. It was very choppy and difficult to read.

I cried all the way through the story. The ugliness that was unleashed is still with us today.

Did not like it at all! Would not recommend.

I haven’t read the book but I had to say something about the fact that only one other person in the world has reviewed this book, I mean like...wow.

Azarel24