Introduction

"A powerful tale of revenge and perseverance in the face of danger. " - Kirkus Reviews

"Not since True Grit have we celebrated a plucky young girl on a mission to set her turbulent, dusty world right ..." - David Marion Wilkinson, award-winning author

"Libraries and readers seeking powerful elements of history and thriller that share equal billing in their depth and deployment will find Sarita an exceptional acquisition." - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

"(Dossett) possesses a firm grasp of the landscapes and culture of the Wild West and strikingly demonstrates this through her narration." - Lily Andrews, reviewer at Feathered Quill

In the summer of 1920, nineteen-year-old Sarita's younger brother, JJ, bleeds to death in her arms after being shot by Javier Salsito de Ortega, a ruthless tequila smuggler. The Texas Rangers have their hands full with Prohibition and border issues. Still, Sarita is stunned when they refuse to help.

JJ's death devastates her father. Without a male heir, Sarita fears he will give in to the oil prospector intent on buying their family ranch, La Barroneña. Even in his despair, she knows her father yearns for justice, but he is too ill and weak to seek it.

Sarita isn't.

Determined to prove herself and change her fate, she crosses the Rio Grande into a world of deadly threats--from rattlesnakes to Pancho Villa's rebels to the very killer she's hunting. Quickly, Sarita realizes she's stumbled into a web of danger far bigger and more sinister than she imagined. If she is caught, the consequences could jeopardize innocent lives and put her father's safety at risk.

In a tumultuous landscape of social and political upheaval, what lines will Sarita have to cross to survive? Will her relentless pursuit of justice exact a price too steep to bear? If she succeeds--if she gets home--will she have earned her father's respect? Will she have secured her family's future?

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Excerpt

“The manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors imported or exported from the United States is prohibited.”
The Eighteenth Amendment went into effect at midnight on January 16, 1920. Seldom has a law been so extraordinarily difficult to enforce or so flagrantly violated.









CHAPTER 1

Sunlight shifted through the oak canopy above, golden rays glistening on my fingers, slick with blood and gloved in small brown and gray feathers. I picked up another quail from the pile at my feet, popping the head off and snapping the fragile wing bones. As I plucked it clean, small tufts of down sailed away like dandelion seeds, floating with the buzz of locusts and grasshoppers on the summer breeze. The lazy sound reminded me of childhood naps in the shade of the big live oak behind our house, of waking up in a hazy sweat to Mama’s dinner call. My mother lay buried under that tree now, and everything had changed. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. What surprised you about the historical context of 1920s SouthTexas?

2. What significance does setting play in shaping the characters and events?

3. There are many social themes in the novel––race, culture, identity, women’s rights––how have those changed since 1920? How are they the same?

4. Legacy and succession are two main themes in the novel, how do family dynamics affect the characters’ decisions?

5. How does the novel make you think about your own family history and identity?

6. How does the novel depict the impact of violence and trauma on individuals and communities?

7. What future do you envision for the characters?

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