Musings of the Book Goddess

From Musings of the Book Goddess

The Confessional – J.L. Powers
My family came over from Russia and Poland at the turn of the century. I an American even if I have Russian or Polish or whatever blood running through me. Many people from other countries have done the same for centuries. We have Cuban Americans, Russian Americans, Greek Americans, Hispanic Americans etc. Its a swirl of colors, beliefs and languages – a true melting pot. Unfortunately an act of terrorism can make you cast a net of suspicion over anyone that is different from us. It is either us or them.

In reading Confessional by JL. Powers I came to understand what living on the border, straddling two place is really like. The book opens up with a letter from a letter from a Mexican man, bitter because he is treated liked a terrorist when he stopped by border control crossing the river to go to work. Granted, he is working illegally but he is working. He is also bitter because his wife a maquilla worker was found dead. She is not the only one – many women have been found dead in the desert He wrote letter after letter to our government for help but to no avail. He even lost 2 days wages in hope of getting someone to pay attention to the situation. Nada! So he got their attention – he blew himself up, on the bridge that connects Mexico to the United States, killing himself and 32 other Americans on Cinco De Mayo.

A year later, Mackenzie Malone, a student at a Catholic High School, writes an editorial considered controversial to the local newspaper. He doesn’t feel that Cinco de Mayo should be celebrated, that it is too soon and a moment of silence is just not enough for those that died. His classmates think he is a racist for his words. Tensions mount between the Americans, Mexican Americans and Mexicans during the week. Mac gets into a fight with a Mexican classmate and basically beats him to a bloody pulp. Tension mounts some more. By the end of that night, Mac is dead, stabbed to death. The rest of the story is told in alternating chapters by 5 of his classmates, his friends. Secrets are revealed as well as some fear and insecurities. Everybody is a suspect but who really did it, you will find out in the end.