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Dorothy Van Soest

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.dorothyvansoest.com

Genre

Fiction, Nonfiction

Member Since

December 2013

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Dorothy Van Soest is a writer, social worker, political and community activist, and educator who holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and a Masters and Ph.D. in Social Work. She is currently Professor Emerita at the University of Washington with a publication record of eleven books and over fifty journal articles, essays, and book chapters that tackle complex and controversial issues related to violence, oppression, and injustice.

Her novel, Just Mercy (Fall 2014, Apprentice House) was informed by her widely acclaimed investigation of the lives of thirty-seven men who were executed by Texas in 1997 and inspired by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue program. Just Mercy personalizes th Dorothy Van Soest is a writer, social worker, political and community activist, and educator who holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and a Masters and Ph.D. in Social Work. She is currently Professor Emerita at the University of Washington with a publication record of eleven books and over fifty journal articles, essays, and book chapters that tackle complex and controversial issues related to violence, oppression, and injustice.

Her novel, Just Mercy (Fall 2014, Apprentice House) was informed by her widely acclaimed investigation of the lives of thirty-seven men who were executed by Texas in 1997 and inspired by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue program. Just Mercy personalizes the topic of the death penalty through a heart-wrenching and ultimately redemptive family drama of forgiveness, destiny, and the true nature of justice.

Dorothy's second novel, At the Center, is a Sylvia Jensen mystery that grew out of her experiences with the child welfare system. The stories of two boys are intertwined with the secrets and personal demons of the families and the social workers that shape their lives. From the stark poverty of American Indian reservations to the hidden dangers of affluent suburbia, a foster care supervisor and an investigative reporter must unlock the mysteries of their own pasts in order to bring a killer to justice.

Death, Unchartered (2018), the second Sylvia Jensen mystery, grew out of Dorothy's teaching experiences in the Bronx. When a child's skeleton is discovered during the excavation of the site for a new charter school being built in the Bronx, former teacher Sylvia Jensen is sure the remains are those of a former third grade student of hers and that his death was no accident. Driven to find the child's killer, she delves into the teachers' strikes and political protests of the late 1960s and corporate greed of the present.

The second Sylvia Jensen mystery, Nuclear Option, released December 1, 2020, was inspired by her experiences in the nuclear disarmament movement in the 1980s. In 1984 SYLVIA JENSEN was in love with Norton, an atomic veteran and fellow activist in the nuclear disarmament movement. In 2019 Sylvia is seventy-seven and thinking her activist days are behind her when Norton’s troubled son Corey shows up unexpectedly and draws her back into the fight. To save his life and those of countless others, she and her old friend investigative reporter J.B. Harrell must unravel a decades old mystery and face the truth of the nuclear age before it is too late.

Dorothy Van Soest lives in Seattle, Washington. Her website is http://dorothyvansoest.com/
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Dorothy Van Soest’s books

Average rating: 3.95 · 242 ratings · 43 reviews · 15 distinct works • Similar authors

	Just Mercy 3.92 avg rating — 190 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	At the Center 4.26 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Death, Unchartered 3.82 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nuclear Option 4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sheila's Trifecta 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2006	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Death, Unchartered: A Novel 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Diversity Education for Social Justice: Mastering Teaching Skills 2.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2003 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Global Crisis of Violence: Common Problems, Universal Causes, Shared Solutions it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1997	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Incorporating peace and social justice into the social work curriculum: Curriculum materials and suggestions for faculty and students 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	John O'Manique. The Origins of Justice: the Evolution of Morality, Human Rights and Law.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Dorothy Van Soest's Blog

Real Change book review of Just Mercy

Thank you to Joe Martin and Real Change newspaper for the wonderful review of Just Mercy. http://realchangenews.org/index.php/s...

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Published on January 05, 2015 09:13

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Dorothy Soest rated a book really liked it The Momma Puzzle: A Memoir by Hilary Plattner	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A mother’s ghost hangs over every chapter in The Momma Puzzle with each clue that is revealed, each silence that is broken, and each family secret that is exposed as a daughter searches for the mother she longs for and was never allowed to have. A bo ...more
Apr 10, 2026 10:50AM · like · see review
Dorothy Soest entered a giveaway Whistler by Ann Patchett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 09, 2026 07:51AM · like · see giveaway

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Quotes by Dorothy Van Soest (?)

“If I waited for perfection I would never write a word.
- Margaret Atwood”
― Dorothy Van Soest

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Dorothy’s Quotes

“There's a frightful muteness that dwells at the center of all unspeakable things, and I had found my way into it.”
― Sue Monk Kidd, The Invention of Wings

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“The tears of the world are a constant quantity, the same is true of the laugh.”
― Samuel Beckett

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“If I waited for perfection I would never write a word.
- Margaret Atwood”
― Dorothy Van Soest

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