Since I'm in prison ministry, a friend gave me the book, Sing Her Down by Ivy Pochoda, to read. It's about two inmates. the beginning is inside a women's prison. Florence and Diosmary are two inmates. Their prison names are Florida and Dios.
Isn't funny how prison gives people nicknames? It's like their baptismal names aren't acceptable in prisons. Maybe because it would be a reminder of whom they were meant to be.
Their life inside was more brutal than my experience. Fights aren't common in my medium security prison and no deaths from violence, since I've been there. Maybe convicts that attend church services are nicer.
Anyway, Florida and Dios are released. They are on parole. I thought it was odd that they weren't wearing ankle bracelets. Florida hops on a bus and Dios follows her. In fact, Dios literally is following Florida. Florida can't shake her.
While on the bus, Dios brutally murders a man she recognizes as a prison guard. Since Florida is on the same bus, she knows she's implicated.
Florida, though, almost kills a man who befriended them and brought them to his camp. Everyone got drunk, but she beat him mercilessly.
Florida went home and Dios kills her mother. In the end, Florida shoots Dios. A detective kills Florida. The detective has her own demons. Her ex-husband abused her and she's always looking over her shoulder for him.
The novel begins with a mural depicting Dios and Florida. Florida is running from Dios but kills her. The mural seems to be alive. The novel also ends with this mural.
On the whole, I found the story had too much violence for my taste.
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