Overview

Marcea of the Dust finds our heroine, Marcea, walking a fine moral line between the emotional trauma of her childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father and her response to other young women, whom she stumbles across accidentally in the sex trade of Mexico. Marcea's actions challenge the lives of those around her, especially those of Collo and Drayson, her loving, fearless stepparents. Seeking refuge with nine young female victims of the sex trade, she turns to her stepparents' organic farm, worked in conjunction with a Gerson Therapy-like healing clinic, where big-name Americans go to receive alternative healing treatments for cancer. Teaching the young victims how to handle a firearm properly, Marcea empowers them to fight back against those who trampled their self-esteem, innocence, and beauty. Ultimately, the women find their true power in their love for each other, with the boundary-setting aid of their firearms. I believe that, with one in four women experiencing sexual abuse, and many of those at the hands of someone they trusted or wished to trust, many women and men will easily walk in the boots of my heroine. Marcea takes place in a small, rural town in northeastern Mexico in the 1970s. It is approximately 56,000 words long, and will grab readers and educate them while also forcing them to confront issues of shame and awkwardness central to the child sex trade.

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Reviews

Cooper's novel skillfully conveys the spirit and pain of Marcea and others who have been sexually abused...this novel is well plotted and compelling, and it boasts an excellent sense of place and a strong and well-developed cast of characters. --The BookLife Prize in FictionMarcea of the Dust is fantastic. I had trouble putting it down. I liked the description of everyday life in a Mexican town interwoven with a real problem-sex trafficking. I liked how real the people felt. I cried at the end. An emotional read! --B.B., Sacramento, CA Like James Dickey's 1970 novel Deliverance (and the film based on it), Marcea of the Dust goes places that are shocking, gripping, and provocative. One major difference between the two stories: the protagonists in Marcea are almost all women. Smart, strong, self-reliant women. All of the bad guys are men, but there are also enough good guys to keep the story believable and compelling. For a book that some might describe as feminist, Marcea does an outstanding job of keeping things balanced and real. Something else I really liked about the book (and found wanting in Deliverance): an ending that is simultaneously pulse-pounding, heart-rending, and redemptive. It's just an all-around perfect read. I absolutely loved it. --Soccer Coach (Amazon customer) Opened [Marcea of the Dust] and read it in 3 days. What a powerful book!! And a page-turner as well. --O.Y., Burlington, VT

Author Information

Jules Cooper attended high school in the Los Angeles area, after which she moved to a small surf town and worked making custom wetsuits for professional surfers from all over the world. She was one of the first college students admitted to Oregon State University on the California Proficiency Exam. She received a BS degree in education in 1987 and briefly taught in the public schools. She is midway through an MA degree in women studies. She helped raise three children and taught yoga for 12 years at Oregon State University. Her art and writings, as well as her yoga practice, center around healing themes. It is her deepest interest to understand the unseen world of living and to help others heal.

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