Girl in the River
By Patricia Kullberg
Genre: Historical Fiction With Feminist Leanings
Release:, August 20, 2015
Publisher: Bygone Era Books, Ltd.
Her pimp wants her dead, a hooker wants her heart, and the DA
just wants her …
On the eve of World War II, Portland, Oregon, battles
corruption as the city falls into the hands of gangsters. Newly orphaned, Mae
Rose wanders the rain-stained streets alone, on the lam from a knife-wielding
pimp and mustering her own worst impulses to survive. As Mae rises to power in
Portland’s gritty sex industry, she’s pursued by a district attorney who seeks
to snare her for more personal reasons. In the city’s smoky nightspots, the
glamorous Dr. Ruth Barnett turns heads, but by day she operates a wildly
successful abortion service. At war’s end, both Mae and Ruth are caught in the
crosshairs of Portland’s anti-vice crusade. The women’s survival, as well as
any chance at lasting love, depends on their allegiance to each other and their
abilities to outsmart the cops and politicians who no longer protect them. This
novel, based in part on the true story of Dr. Ruth Barnett, takes an
unflinching look at the power dynamics of sex and post-war assaults on
reproductive rights.
About the Author
A family physician, Patricia Kullberg, MD, MPH, devoted her
career to serving persons living with physical, mental and addiction disorders
at a clinic for the homeless. She has written many award-winning articles about
health and medicine, but Girl in the River is her first novel. Kullberg and her
husband live in Portland, Oregon, where she facilitates writing workshops for
marginalized women and tends a large garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment