Set in the Inland Empire, her tenth novel, weaves together people, history, and scenery

By Sandra Baltazar Martínez
FROM: UCR News

Susan Straight weaves the past and present into stories that reflect the lives of millions of ordinary people in Southern California. Her tenth novel, “Mecca,” publishes today, March 15, by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 

“I wrote this book for you, for us, about us,” said Straight, a distinguished professor of creative writing at UC Riverside whose memoir, “In the Country of Women” was published in 2019. “I wrote this book about our students too, who are trying to write about Hemet, Fontana, Rialto, Bloomington. Why can’t these Inland Empire cities be centerpieces of a great book? Of course, they can.”

The Inland Empire is the heart of Southern California, surrounded by roads and highways that allow drivers to head west to Hollywood where some of her characters live, as well as east, into Mecca, the agriculture community in eastern Coachella Valley. 

“To me the heart was Thermal, Oasis, Coachella, all the places my mom loved to go when we were kids. To Indio for the Date Festival,” said Straight of the eastern Riverside County communities where her characters come alive. Her award-winning novel, “Highwire Moon,” also unfolds in portions of the Coachella Valley. Read Rest of Article Here