Wounded is set in Highland, Wyoming, not far from Laramy which is mentioned a couple of times. Early in the book, we are told about a hate has just happened. The crucified body of gay man has been found abandoned in the desert, dead. The reference to the real-life murder of Matthew Shepard, which happened seven years before the book was published, can't be ignored. Intolerance hidden or over runs through the whole book, all the way to its denouement.

But while there is much that is repulsive and gruesome in those pages, the book is first and foremost a warm tale of friendship and loyalty, served by a wonderful gallery of characters. It is a delight to read and gripped me from the beginning. The banter between the main protagonists add much charm to this portrait of rural life in America for those who don't quite fit in. Highly recommended.