Susan Straight paints a brilliant and stunning portrait of a whole segment of people often invisible to the world-- at least unrecognized by most. "Mecca" drew me back to my Southern California roots right from the start with the warm Santa Ana winds bathing the landscape. The Santa Anas also summon the fire season and expose the first threat of the book. Highway Patrolman Johnny Frias spots the start of a possibly deadly brushfire threatening his family in the parched canyons off the freeway. He is an Hispanic officer who has had to toe the line between life in law enforcement and answering to his community-- struggles reminiscent of Tony Hillerman's Navajo Officer Jim Chee. Although Johnny and his buddies all applied to be cops, he was the only one to make it. Now, instead of being looked up to and respected, he is ostracized as a part of an establishment crushing his people. On top of that he is living in the shadow of a crime he was forced to commit.
As the chapters follow we are treated to more three dimensional characters, not cardboard cutout stereotypes. These are people living in the same land as white people but in a different world. There are so many threats out there. There is the plague of Covid-19. There is ICE. There is the harassment of being suspect in the wrong area with the wrong complexion or surname. Everyone has to look over their shoulders from time to time... the lives we meet here are governed by a very real paranoia. One tragedy was depicted in such a raw, honest way that it moved me unexpectedly to tears. An event played out over and over in the news gets personalized when the victims are not just video footage.
Susan Straight reminds us that there is another reality out there for some, a truth reinforced by attitudes developed over centuries. In this day and age it is no shock to any intelligent person that biases and prejudices exist. "Mecca" is an eye opening glimpse at what is often not really seen. 5 out of 5 stars for what looks to be one of the best books of the year.
As the chapters follow we are treated to more three dimensional characters, not cardboard cutout stereotypes. These are people living in the same land as white people but in a different world. There are so many threats out there. There is the plague of Covid-19. There is ICE. There is the harassment of being suspect in the wrong area with the wrong complexion or surname. Everyone has to look over their shoulders from time to time... the lives we meet here are governed by a very real paranoia. One tragedy was depicted in such a raw, honest way that it moved me unexpectedly to tears. An event played out over and over in the news gets personalized when the victims are not just video footage.
Susan Straight reminds us that there is another reality out there for some, a truth reinforced by attitudes developed over centuries. In this day and age it is no shock to any intelligent person that biases and prejudices exist. "Mecca" is an eye opening glimpse at what is often not really seen. 5 out of 5 stars for what looks to be one of the best books of the year.
