The Blameless

Virginia Bigelow is struggling with financial debt, a stalled teaching career, isolation, and the challenges of being a single parent to an autistic child. When she learns that Travis Lee Hilliard, who murdered her father, has been released from prison, she sets out on an ill-conceived journey to confront him. Travis, who has spent three decades serving a life sentence for murdering a preacher, struggles to reconcile his past and embrace his newfound freedom. This novel explores the ambiguities wrought by violence and redemption.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 220 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press

Virginia Bigelow is grappling with a multitude of challenges following her divorce. She faces mounting financial debt, a frustrating stagnation in her teaching career, a growing sense of isolation and loneliness, and the demanding responsibilities of being a single parent to an autistic child. However, her world is turned upside down when she discovers that Travis Lee Hilliard, the man responsible for murdering her father in the 1980s, has been released from prison. Driven by a fierce desire for justice, Virginia sets out on an ill-advised quest to confront Travis, determined to exact the punishment she believes he deserves.

On the other hand, Travis Lee Hilliard, having spent three decades in prison for the murder of a California preacher who had rescued him from the streets, views himself as a reformed man. Transitioning from Folsom Prison to his new home in the remote Mojave Desert, he strives to reconcile his past and embrace the newfound freedom he has earned. However, he soon realizes that the path to staying on the straight and narrow is filled with more obstacles than he could have ever imagined.

As Virginia's and Travis's narratives intertwine, the tension between them intensifies, culminating in an inevitable collision. Unflinching, compassionate, and gripping, this novel explores the complexities of violence and redemption with a bold and evocative voice. It delves into the moral dilemmas that arise when individuals confront their past mistakes and strive for redemption, shedding light on the human capacity for both destruction and transformation.

Dimension: 216 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780299345044