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Literature

Arte Público Press Author Of The Month: Patricia Santos Marcantonio

An immigrant Latina accused of murdering her abusive husband, a handsome but unsatisfied young attorney assigned to defend her, and an ambitious young translator are just a few of the characters in legal journalist and first time novelist Patricia Santos Marcantonio’s new novel Verdict in the Desert.

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Photo of Patricia Santos Marcantonio, Autor of Verdict in the Desert
Arte Público Press
Patricia Santos Marcantonio, Author of Verdict in the Desert

It is 1959 in the sweltering desert town of Borden, Arizona. After suffering from years of alcohol-induced violence, Mexican immigrant Maria Sánchez Curry has murdered her abusive husband in a desperate act of self defense. Young, handsome Harvard educated attorney Michael Shaw is assigned to defend Maria. Michael Shaw has alcohol issues of his own, in addition to an unhappy marriage and deep resentment toward his successful attorney father. Bright and ambitious young Latina Antonia Garcia is hired to translate for the monolingual Maria.

In her new novel Verdict in the Desert, former crime and trial reporter Patricia Santos Marcantonio takes readers on an emotional journey filled with bigotry, forbidden love, good and bad family loyalty and a frustratingly biased judicial system.

Houston Public Media's Eric Ladau spoke with Patricia Santos Marcantonio.

More information available at www.artepublicopress.com