The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap by Paulette Mahurin

Great review of Paulette’s first book. Very kind of this blogger to post it.

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap is set in a small town in Nevada called Red River Pass in the year 1895. The story begins the day a telegram arrives with the news that author Oscar Wilde has been sentenced to two years hard labour by a British court of law under the recently passed gross indecency law making it illegal for men to have sex with men. When the news arrives in Red River Pass, it sets into motion a series of events of racism, hatred, religious discrimination, vicious rumour, jealousy, and, finally, subtle, satisfying revenge. It reminded me a bit of Little House on the Prairie where Nellie and her mother were always stirring things up and starting rumours, except that here it’s carried to extremes. As in any community, there are people who bully others and indulge in malicious gossip and those who refuse to stand up to them…