The Purging of Monica Campbell

About the Book

THE PURGING OF MONICA CAMPBELL is the sometimes brutal account of one young woman struggling to escape generations of family dysfunction. It takes place in a small town in the Cumberland Mountains against the backdrop of the conflict in Vietnam and the struggle for racial equality. The lynching of a young, black anti-war demonstrator triggers painful memories long repressed in Moe. While wrestling with these, she must also challenge law enforcement to investigate this crime. THE PURGING OF MONICA CAMPBELL is a frank and unflinching account of the worst of one family’s depravity, but is also a testament to a belief in change.

About the Author

Dorothy Joan Riley is an artist, writer and retired Clinical Social Worker. Before taking up brush and pen, she worked for several decades in the child abuse field. This helped to shape her understanding of broken lives and fractured families. From these, and from her personal experiences as a young girl living in Kentucky during the early 1970’s, Riley crafted Monica Campbell, the vulnerable and flawed young woman struggling to escape both family dysfunction and social injustice. Riley serves as an editor within a national volunteer organization. Her artwork can be found in various collections including the West Virginia Division of Culture and History Museum and the Coast Guard Fine Art collection.