Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Hell or High Water, by Joy Castro

Nola Céspedes is a Cuban-American reporter born and raised in New Orleans, waiting for her big chance to break out of society stories and get away from New Orleans.  She's angry, edgy, and not New Orleans's biggest fan, and she's been given one last shot at proving herself with a feature story on the thousands of convicted sexual predators who went off the radar after Katrina.  She learns and passes on a lot about the the extent of the problem, the perspective (real or feigned) of the paroled sexual offenders, and the lasting impact on the victims.  She's close to her mother, three successful "Sex and the Big Easy" friends, and her lovely gay flatmate, but still she's got those anger and trust issues.  Castro paints a multi-faceted portrait of New Orleans that I'll remember. 

1 comment:

  1. Wow, powerful book. Nola, so complex and driven. I liked her warm, loving mother and want to know where all the Uri's and Bento's of the world can be found! I want me one of those, although I have to admit I've got a pretty good substitute right here at home. The statistics and interviews made me sad, heart sore and ultimately horrified. Who knew?! Having never been to New Orleans, her descriptions of places and history of the area was fascinating, and let's not even mention the restaurants, cafes and the food (even thinking about the food now makes me salivate...)

    Cathy

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