First published 1991
Abilene "Abby" Painter finds herself lost in 1960s Mexico, caught between tourist and outcast. The twenty-five-year-old Texan has fallen into a passionate but violent relationship with Antonio Velez, a celebrated bullfighter whose fame cannot mask his cruelty. In a culture where Americans are targets for exploitation and women face even harsher treatment, Abby occupies the worst possible position. She drifts through her days in a haze of physical desire and emotional numbness, unable to break free from the cycle that holds her captive. Abby struggles to understand her own desires while navigating a world that sees her as nothing more than an object to be used. The heat and machismo of Mexico in the sixties creates a backdrop where traditional gender roles trap both the beautiful young woman and the man who claims to possess her. Scofield explores how lost souls can become even more lost when they seek salvation in all the wrong places.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, american-fiction, abuse, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, toxic-relationship
Setting: Mexico, Texas
Period: 1960s
Paperback · Knightsbridge Pub Co Mass
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, violence