Ciudad Juarez lies just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. A once-thriving border town, it now resembles a failed state. Infamously known as the place where women disappear, its murder rate exceeds that of Baghdad. Last year 1,607 people were killeda number that is on pace to increase in 2009.InMurder City, Charles Bowdenone of the few journalists who has spent extended periods of time in Juarezhas written an extraordinary account of what happens when a city disintegrates. Interweaving stories of its inhabitantsa raped beauty queen, a repentant hitman, a journalist fleeing for his lifewith a broader meditation on the town's descent into anarchy, Bowden reveals how Juarez's culture of violence will not only worsen, but inevitably spread north.Heartbreaking, disturbing, and unforgettable,Murder Cityestablishes Bowden as one of our leading writers working at the height of his powers.
Media Buzz
Diane Rehm Show - NPR - March 24, 2010 Marketplace - PRI - March 22, 2010
© 2003-2026