Weekly Reader: If I Die In Juarez, by Stella Pope Duarte

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A few years ago Sarah Weinman thought she was going to have a career in science, possibly of the forensic variety. But then she launched the crime and mystery fiction blog Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind as a way of procrastinating on her master’s thesis, and it literally changed her life’s path.

We can respect that.

We also respect her opinions on books across all genres, so much so that we’ve asked Weinman to recommend a new one for you to check out each Wednesday.

Learn more about her second pick (the first is here) — after the jump, and let us know in the comments area what you thought if you’ve already read it.

If I Die In Juarez, by Stella Pope Duarte While reading Roberto Bolano’s 2666 (which justifies the hype, btw) I realized I wanted to read a more personified account of the Juarez murders. And Stella Pope Duarte more than delivers, shifting viewpoints between several young women in the Ciuadad who work in factories, run away from exploding families and fall for the wrong men — all against the underlying horror of knowing that every day could bring news of the murder of someone close (or even yourself.) The writing is lovely and evocative but it’s the way Duarte captures the loss of innocence that brings home the true devastation the Juarez murders continues to bring.

– Sarah Weinman