If I Die in Juárez

Ms. Duarte's wonderful book tells the story of three young women that you can readily understand and relate to. Although these women are from a very different world than most of us in mainstream USA their thoughts, insights, fears and hopes brought me back to my life as a young person. The book has three connected coming of age stories connected cleverly in the plot. I'm sure young readers enjoy this book as well. The interconnected stories are fascinating; I didn't want to put the book down. Of course the book revolves around a very disturbing issue: the brutal murders of women in Juarez - femicide. It definitely makes you think about what women go through and how we (women) are viewed globally. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Duarte at a gathering in Phoenix. Ms. Duarte did extensive on site research in Juarez. She bravely met the women and CHILDREN working in the red light district. She spoke with victim's mothers. That's got to be hard. I'm so happy she applied her talents to such a noble endeavor.

This book is not for the feint of heart but it is a well written mystery, in its own right. A fast read, it tells a story of serial murders that are amazingly unbelievable.

I have been to Juarez several times now- 5 times to volunteer with a group and 1 time to visit with a friend- and have become very interested in the femicides there. The first character introduced in the story is Evita, the street child, and my first impression of the book was that it was going to be too depressing to read (it seemed that maybe the author was purposely making Evita's story extra horrific, though it sadly could be an accurate/common experience). However, once I got a little further into the book and the other characters' stories were woven in, I became engrossed and couldn't put the book down. The author is an excellent story teller- I felt a real connection to the characters. I like how she informs readers of the situation in Juarez through three different perspectives. I highly recommend this book. and hope many people read it. Though the book is fiction, femicides are all too real in Juarez and women and their loved ones are living in fear.

I first heard about the Juarez murders when a friend rented 'Border Town'. I saw this book at a local independent bookstore and the cover caught my attention. Although it's a sad subject, I was drawn into this book and the characters of Petra,Mayela and Evita. Although their lives are hard, the poverty and machismo unbelievable, I rooted for these girls and their journey to hope and peace. The situation in Juarez is an outrage on so many levels but this is a simple book about simple people in believable real situations. The author says "you will walk with the girls'and that is the truth. The horror of life on the border comes off the pages but there is a silver lining. This is a human story of a very real and tragic situation. The girls themselves are the heroes. Gracias Stella Pope Duarte.

With the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993, young Mexican women began taking jobs in U.S.-owned maquiladoras, or factories, in Juárez. Many became unwitting victims of gruesome murders as they walked home from work at night. Critics have long accused Mexican authorities of callousness, even complicity. Stella Pope Duarte's vital and eloquent novel, "If I Die in Juárez" (University of Arizona Press, $16.95 paperback), centers on these horrific, unsolved crimes, which have been dubbed the maquiladora murders. She relies on three young characters to tell the story. I asked Duarte why she decided to use fiction rather than nonfiction to chronicle the plight of these women. "This story is a very painful one not only for victims, but for their families and friends as well," she explained. "Several documentaries, books and films, and numerous articles have been written, (but) a story told from the perspective of three young girls has not been done in this way." Ominously, she added: "I also was cautious about protecting the identity of the women, as I know there are retaliations from police and investigators." Duarte relied on extensive research and interviews to create her three protagonists: Evita, a street urchin; Petra, a factory worker; and Mayela, an Indian girl of Tarahumara heritage. Was Duarte ever overwhelmed by the subject matter? "Absolutely, lots of times," she acknowledged. "The worst was when I read details of the mutilations. Knowing what had been done to the bodies, and seeing photos of remains, mummified faces -- that was the worst ever." But she stayed the course: "I would have run away from it all, but the story haunted me, held me fast." By creating three female characters of different backgrounds, Duarte offers readers a cross-section of women who have been affected by these crimes. "I had to have a woman in the maquiladora, then I had to have one who lived on the streets, and then I wanted to show the extreme poverty of Juárez, and so was born Mayela Sabina, my Tarahumara," she said. The characters gripped her. "I couldn't let any of them go," she said. "They were meant to be there together, young, fragile and targets for abuse and murder." The result of Duarte's research, creativity and passion is a novel that is as stunning as it is heart-rending. Her three protagonists feel real, and the reader cannot help but hope for their safety and that justice will prevail. Also, if this novel does not make you angry, nothing will. Duarte started her writing career more than a dozen years ago when she dreamed that her deceased father told her that her destiny was to become a writer. She also has written a short-story collection, "Fragile Night" (Bilingual Press), and a novel, "Let Their Spirits Dance" (HarperCollins). But the award-winning author also has become known as an inspirational speaker on many topics, including women's rights, culture, diversity and literacy. Her view o