Sara Paretsky

Bleeding Kansas Sara Paretsky

Set in the Kaw River Valley, where Paretsky grew up, Bleeding Kansas is the story of the Schapens and the Grelliers, two farm families whose histories have been entwined since the 1850s. Today, the Schapen family, still terrified by the lawlessness of the 1970s - when Lawrence was the most violent college town in the nation - have turned to that old-time religion. They keep a close eye on all their neighbors, most especially the Grelliers, and take careful note of everyone's misdeeds. When Gina Haring, a Wiccan, moves into a nearby farmhouse and starts practicing pagan rites, the Schapens are so outraged that they begin a harassment campaign against the Wiccans.