Family Honor: A Novel

It is difficult to understand a culture where marriages arranged by fathers and a woman's desire to choose her own husband is viewed as a gross act of defiance that damages the honor of the men who negotiated the agreement. It is even more astonishing if the woman is educated, independent, and beautiful. But this is Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico in 1947. The destined marital union in this story precariously has to contend with learning how to love the other with the expectation that it will evolve into a firm lifelong relationship while struggling with where their hearts truly lie. Family Honor is the story of Marta Ortega a twenty four year old executive secretary working in the City Hall offices of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. She is forced into an arranged marriage or opt to elope for love. Her betrothed, a Big Band musician, is from a highly respected and wealthy family who if she marries would bring honor in the conjoining of two great families. However, her love is Eugenio Ramirez the city's young Chief of Police who is challenged with fighting organized crime and a futile drug war where he is law enforcer, judge, jury and self-appointed executioner of these malcontents. Based on a true life story and due to the nature of some of the events, liberties have been taken for effect. Real names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved."