Salt Bones
by Jennifer Givhan
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Three women in one twisted family race for answers in this "stunning" mystery set in the Mexicali borderlands that "breathes new life into the myth of Persephone and Demeter" (Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines).
"A triumph . . . One of the most masterful marriages of horror, mystery, thriller, and literary writing." --The Los Angeles Times
"Will absolutely mesmerize you." --Cosmo
"Beautifully explores the dark complexities of mother-daughter relationships." --Erin E. Adams, author of Jackal
"An irresistible world." --Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory
At the edge of the Salton Sea, in the blistering borderlands, something is out hunting. . .
Malamar Veracruz has never left the dust-choked town of El Valle. Here, Mal has done her best to build a good life: She's raised two children, worked hard, and tried to forget the painful, unexplained disappearance of her sister, Elena. When another local girl goes missing, Mal plunges into a fresh yet familiar nightmare. As a desperate Mal hunts for answers, her search becomes increasingly tangled with inscrutable visions of a horse-headed woman, a local legend who Mal feels compelled to follow. Mal's perspective is joined by the voices of her two daughters, all three of whom must work to uncover the truth about the missing girls in their community before it's too late.
Combining elements of Latina and Indigenous culture, family drama, mystery, horror, and magical realism in a spellbinding mix, Salt Bones lays bare the realities of environmental catastrophe, family secrets, and the unrelenting bond between mothers and daughters.
"Taut with a mother's fierce love and the corrosive power of secrets . . . this is storytelling at its most urgent and haunting." --Morgan Talty, author of Night of the Living Rez
"A novel of visceral and celestial storytelling power, where the grieving land holds as many secrets as the characters." --Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Sabrina & Corina
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780316581523
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Authors
- Jennifer Givhan
- Publisher
- Mulholland Books
- Published Date
- July 22, 2025
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 384
- Physical Info
- 1.26 in H x 9.43 in L x 6.31 in W (1.32 lb)
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan was a fantastic unique read. If you love mythology, folklore, magical realism, mother/daughter relationship, family secrets, and mysteries then you will love this book.This is my first Givhan book and she took me on a wild ride with this unique story. This Persephone/Demeter retelling takes place in the Mexicali borderlands, they live by the Salton Sea where the living conditions aren’t the best. Malamar Veracruz is a very protective mom of 2 daughters Griselda and Amaranta. One night when Mal was in high school her sister Elena disappeared and she has not been the same since. Twenty years later and history is repeating it self because her daughter Amaranta has gone missing. Now Mal is on a mission to find her daughter with or without help. I loved the indigenous folklore and Mexican culture that was incorporated into the book. This book keeps you hooked with plenty of mystery, betrayal, politics, Mexican legends, secrets, and lies.
The perfect book for anyone who loves badass women! Poetic writing meets mystery novel to sweep you into a harsh world full of familial love. Jennifer Givhan provides a master class in writing in all of her books. She weaves the complexities of relationships beautifully into real world situations.
This is a beautiful and important book that I couldn't put down. It's about something universal: a mother's fierce love and drive to protect her children. It's also about something very important and very neglected: missing Indigenous and Mexican-American women. Women in our society are often considered disposable, and when you intersect that with class and race, the situation becomes dire. The author is shining a light on this unacceptable and tragic situation. But the book isn't polemical. It's lyrical and thrilling. I couldn't stop reading. The characters are still with me weeks later. Some of the language was so beautiful I highlighted it for myself. And while the subject matter is dark, it was ultimately still hopeful. I left seeing myself in the main character: a mother who would do anything to protect her kids.
A mother’s love is fierce. She will do anything to protect her children. In this story, Mal, a single mother of two daughters, is especially protective given her sister/best friend disappeared twenty years ago and she was not the first. When her sister disappeared Mal was having nightmares of a woman with a horse head lurking and invading her dreams. The dreams started up again and then her younger child went missing. Mal was not going to stop until she found her.The author takes us on a wild ride of indigenous folklore, misdirection, betrayal, politics, secrets and lies and sacred bond between mothers and daughters. The suspense builds throughout and has a twist I didn't expect. There was one relationship that seemed a little unrealistic but I just went with it. It worked for the story.This is a fast, skillfully crafted read.
This was an engrossing novel! I learned more about the Salton Sea, the history and the injustices there than I ever did growing up in California. The entire book kept me engaged and wide-eyed, on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put it down! It is wonderful in its own right as a fast-paced story andwould also be a great basis for a movie script; just saying’. I will be recommending it to friends.
