If I Die in Juárez
Stella Pope Duarte

"The result of Duarte's research, creativity, and passion is a novel that is as stunning as it is heart-rending. If this novel does not make you angry, nothing will." —El Paso Times

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"Human rights activist Duarte's latest novel is based on a string of real-life murders in Ciudad Juárez in the 1990s. Forced out of the house by her alcoholic mother, 13-year-old Evita takes to the streets, glimpsing newspaper columns about the murders, while struggling to survive. Petra, Evita's comely 19-year-old cousin, exchanges the country life for gritty Juárez to raise money for her ailing father. An acquaintance of Petra, Mayela, a 12-year-old Tarahumara Indian, lives in an orphanage where her artistic talent is discovered. Over the course of the novel, the girls are stripped of their childhoods and face grotesque realities that stalk the streets, even under the guise of protection. After a chance encounter reunites the girls, they must work together before one of their own becomes a victim. Duarte's writing is laced with anguish and desperation and brings to life the grime and sleaze of Juárez." —Publishers Weekly

"[Duarte] has a keen eye for detail. So vividly does she detail survival within the grimy confines [of the infamous red-light district] that readers may be prompted to take a long, hot bath. Still, it's comforting to believe in the strength of community and family as depicted by Duarte and to trust that the real-life citizens of Juárez will continue their protests against the corruption that suffocates their city." —Ms. Magazine