Without Sin

by David S. McCabe

As a U.S. Border Patrol Agent and a former Navy Seal, Garrett Harrison is intimately familiar with the notion of duty and the necessity of upholding the law. However, his world is forever changed when he discovers two women brutally murdered and one man clinging to life in the desert wilderness of Otay Mesa. At the same time, Angelina Marguerite, an ill-starred seventeen-year-old prostitute working in a brothel in Tecate, Mexico desperately clings to her faith in God. She hopes for deliverance from the cruel, ambitious drug dealer known as El Cacique who lured her to el norte with the promise of marriage and prosperity, only to force her into prostitution. Meanwhile, the director of a parochial school serving primarily children from migrant families accepts donations from a priest that she suspects molests children. Amidst this corruption and exploitation, Garrett and Angelina fall in love and soon discover that the pursuit of opportunity, liberty and true love comes with a price. DAVID McCABE is the Coordinator of the Teacher Preparation Program at Pasadena City College and has been an educator in Southern California for twenty years where he has worked closely with migrant children and their families. During his career he has had to confront such serious issues as child abuse, drug use and molestation as well as help families gain access to the services they needed while coping with fears surrounding their immigration status. He currently serves as the advisor for Students Beyond Boundaries, a student organization advocating for the rights of all people. David lives with his wife and son on their small ranch in Southern California.

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2012

About the author

David S. McCabe was born in Oswego, New York and traveled extensively throughout his childhood. By the time he was 18, he and his family had moved twenty-one times, ultimately settling in Southern California where he studied U.S. History at UC Riverside and received his Masters in Public Administration from Cal State San Bernardino. He has worked in public education for over twenty years serving his community as an elementary school teacher, principal, professor of education and and a twice elected school board member until a fight with cancer forced him to take a temporary leave from public sevice.

David has written extensively and has spoken internationally on curriculum development, education policy, immigration and human trafficking. He has written two books. Toward a More Perfect Union: Creating Democratic Classroom Communities with Kendall Hunt in 2010 and Without Sin with Sunstone Press in 2012.

David lives Cancer Free with his son Carter and Fisk, his Blue Heeler, on a small ranch near Cedar City, Utah where he is working on his third novel, "Someday Your Cow Will Come".

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be excited to get my hands on a copy of this book. David was an administrator of mine while I was teaching school in CA. This sounds like a fantastic read!

Finish "Without Sin" today. A really good read. Since I was raised in Southern CA, have family in Oceanside, and was married to a member of law enforcement, I found the book compelling. Upon completing the book, I reached for my computer to look for Mexican crime lords that David may have been writing about. I found articles written about Los Carrizales and found that part of the story true. Though I did not remember the events, it did not surprise me that it actually occurred. Is it possible that the story was not a "headline" news event?

The humanity of the main character was endearing, his background an interesting explanation of how he came to the law enforcement community. His falling in love with a young "prostitute", showed his human frailty and compassion.

The story was sad, but gave us some insight into the reasons and logic behind illegal immigration problems in Southern CA. It highlights the hopeless situation that many Mexican citizens face, while showing the hopefulness that they maintain. This is the side of their lives we Americans overlook as we try to reason and deal with the "immigration" problem.

Though immigration policies need to seriously be reviewed, I would like to thank David for writing this book and bringing to the public a story of compassion and tolerance, that more people need to understand.

[Mandibulburke39 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without Sin sheds light on an epidemic many are completely unaware of. There is no getting around the gruesome subject matter, all based on his own investigations, but McCabe creates a tiny glimmer of hope in a world that seems devoid of any moral high ground.

[Judy Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happened to my little girl? WITHOUT SIN is an intense well written and graphic story about human trafficking. McCabe details the disturbing subject in a manner that I could not stop reading. He brings attention to such an important issue that affects us all. A Must Read. Please read.

[William Bentrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without Sin by David McCabe
This is a tale of forbidden love, illegal immigration, drug trafficking and pedophilia. This book pulls back the tattered cover of indifference to reveal the suffering of illegal immigrants.

The book read like the diary of a Border Patrol Agent, Garrett Harrison. Garrett, a Seal in his prior career, ends up guarding our Southern Border. He develops a Romeo and Juliette relationship that develops into a full blown obsession. His buddies and he see the depraved behavior of the coyotes (illegal immigrant guides) and drug traffickers.

The author leads you to believe that his novel is based on observations of actual events. A big part of the theme of the book is the irresistible lure of a better life in the “north”. This desire for a better life drives the poor of those south of our border to take dramatic risks to cross the border. There are a lot of sociological implications to this book. One of the problems in addressing the issue of prostitution among migrant workers is the differing mores of other cultures. The book alternates by reminiscing by Garrett to the actual action of events. The despicable behavior of many of the characters and even the questionable behavior by some of the protagonists did not make this an easy read. I recommend reading the author’s afterword as well to get an idea of his motivation.

I recommend this book.

[Gwendolyn Plano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up by on the California/Mexico divide, where Border Patrol cars are as common as Highway Patrol or Police vehicles. I'd watch them zoom past and instantly feel sad--for someone's hopes had been broken, through the illegal dealers of humans -- the coyotes and drug traffickers.

For anyone unfamiliar with the anguish of our undocumented neighbors, this is an excellent book. I recommend it.