Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

This powerful debut is the story of the unheard and seemingly powerless women of Odessa. Elizabeth Wetmore understands the West Texas mentality with an emphasis on "men". It begins in 1976 with the brutal rape of a young Mexican American girl and what happens leading up to the trial. Told entirely from the women's perspective (young and older), their stories mirror the hard life and the emotional abuse if not physical many of them have suffered. Sadly, only one woman stands up to testify at great risk to herself and her family. She will face the town's hatred, threats, and even her own husband's wrath but still looks for justice. What stands out most in the story is that the harshness of the people matches the hardness of the land and their lives. In spite of this harshness, there still is compassion to be found in some of the female population. For fans of stories of women who endure and character-driven novels.