If I Die in Juarez

From the red-light districts in Ciudad Ju rez to remote villages hidden away in the mountains of Chihuahua comes a tale of one of the darkest crimes to be recorded in the history of humankind. If I Die in Ju rez traces the lives of three young women--Evita, a street child; Petra, a maquiladora worker; and Mayela, a Tarahumara Indian girl--who together uncover Ju rez's forbidden secret: the abduction and murder of young women. Bound together by blood, honor, an ancient chant, and a mysterious photo, the girls bring the murderous streets of Ju rez to life. Based on the author's interviews with relatives of murdered women, If I Die in Ju rez is brilliantly crafted to give readers the experience of walking in the shoes of women who daily risk being abducted and murdered in the "capital city of murdered women," joining thousands of others who for more than a decade have disappeared from Ju rez, las desaparecidas, brutally murdered by assassins who have gone unpunished. The agony of one of the darkest tales in human history brings to light a strange hope, illusive yet constant, resisting lies, betrayal, and the desert's silent sentence of death. Read an in-depth review of If I Die in Ju rez here or click here for a study guide. If I Die in Ju rez was also reviewed on KNAU's Southwest Book Review program. Listen here