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Reviewed by Justine Reyes for Readers' Favorite
Jane Meyer is the heroine of Beach of the Dead: Book Two of the Heartland Trilogy, but we only meet Jane briefly before she changes her name to Ana Jiménez. The novel opens with a carefully crafted hook: “My first purchase in my new life as a fugitive was a pair of scissors.” This line grabbed my attention right from the start, and the book kept getting better. Author Cynthia J Bogard’s heroine reflects on her traumatic past as she heads south of the border to make her escape. Along the way, she encounters kindhearted people who willingly help her to find her footing.
Beach of the Dead by Cynthia J. Bogard proves that women are the backbone of literature. Jane's journey from Texas to Zipolite is swift but steady. The village of Zipolite feels remote, far from paradise. However, there is also a feeling of coziness and familiarity, likely due to the abundance of colorful characters in the village. Dialogue between the characters and Jane's inner monologues added a lot to the authenticity of characters like Veronica, Madre Hermosa, Lily, Linda, and Andy. I found myself feeling a fondness for these characters, and greatly empathizing with Jane. It is always refreshing when an author can portray trauma vividly without romanticizing it or turning it into something that could traumatize readers. Rather, Bogard expresses it eloquently without compromising her main character or the integrity of her story. This novel is mature and contains adult content including themes of rape and incest. I highly recommend this book. Its ending left me with a feeling of empowerment.
