About the Book:

A women’s Brokeback Mountain. The year was filled with memorable historical events: the Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta address; the United States expanded the effects of the Monroe Doctrine in South America; and Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for gross indecency under Britain’s recently passed law that made sex between males a criminal offense. When news of Wilde’s conviction went out over telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted the Wilde news. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship bring strength and healing.

My Thoughts:

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap is a truly amazing book considering it Paulette Mahurin’s first. She writes with all the sophistication of a seasoned pro. I truly loved that modern cultural themes such as bigotry, homophobia, etc are set not only in the 1800’s but in a small rural town where many of those themes never really would have been an issue in that day and time. Yet here they are and they manage to bring all those ugly themes and put them right in your face. I found myself enthralled with characters and unable to put the book down.