This book is about Rachel, a public defender in Boulder, CO. She's passionate about the law and about her clients, but never as much as her latest client, Emily, who stabbed her husband with scissors after years of abuse. It's clear to Rachel that Emily is innocent, and that this case might just make the 1986 Colorado courts finally accept the concept of battered woman syndrome. It is a long and passionate fight, a full half of the book. The second half of the book deals with Rachel decompression after the trial, which involves heading for civil war torn Nicaragua to help rebuild in the Sandinista villages, following a different kind of justice. This is a fascinating tale of a woman trying to find peace with herself and her world. Deep emotion and vivid description make this a fantastic read and an impressive debut novel. ( )