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“Salt Bones breathes new poetry and life into the myth of Persephone and Demeter, drawing from the ancient story as deftly as from the contemporary realities of a single mother living on the Salton Sea. A mystery spiked with horror, magical realism, and stunning prose, this book cast a spell on me.”
Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines
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"Wonderful . . . A worthy read. It’s a book infused with the language and culture of a strong Mexican American and Indigenous community. In some way, like La Siguanaba, it’s a conduit into another world. A complicated, real and very much welcome, if a bit scary, world. . . Salt Bones is a triumph. One of the most masterful marriages of horror, mystery, thriller and literary writing that I’ve read in some time. And it is certainly a book that will haunt you (in a good way!) for a very long time after you’ve turned the final page."
Los Angeles Times
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“Jennifer Givhan captures the experience of dehumanization with impactful elements of horror…. Salt Bones creates a mood of claustrophobia and anxiety both through supernatural violence and the attention it draws to systems that ignore missing brown and Black girls, pollute the Earth with chemicals, and reward white supremacy generation after generation. It’s through both kinds of horror that Givhan conveys the sensation of marginalization. When readers finish this story, they may ask themselves, what is really scarier? Myth, or plain reality? The conclusion may be surprising.”
BookPage
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“Salt Bones walks the shores of the mythical, unexplained darkness that we all run from, forming a real connection to the stories that are embedded in our lives as indigenous people. So many of us are haunted by so much; our traumatic histories, our family secrets and the threads of generational trauma. Jennifer Givhan has harnessed all of it here in these pages and wrapped us in the tenderness of her words—the poetry of a mother’s undying love—guiding us like a map of stars through the sizzling, mordant landscape of our nightmares. Her storytelling is all at once so fragile and so explosive that her words will haunt me for a lifetime.”
Ramona Emerson, author of Shutter
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“Jennifer Givhan’s lyricism and rich storytelling immediately snatch you into this irresistible world of secrets, grief, and horror. Givhan’s poet’s voice brings depth and urgency to a story that feels both contemporary and as old as time, exploring the fault lines between mothers and daughters, myth and reality, beauty and horror.”
Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory
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“A powerful retelling for 2025.”
Town & Country, Best Books of the Summer
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“In Salt Bones, Jennifer Givhan delivers a novel taut with a mother’s fierce love and the corrosive power of secrets. With language that is both precise and visceral, Givhan plunges readers into El Valle—a landscape that is at once lush and poisoned, alive with myth yet grounded in harsh realities. The narrative unfolds as a masterclass in voice, its characters complex and deeply human, each bearing the burden of a past that refuses to remain buried. Givhan trusts the silences, allowing tension to seep through unspoken words, creating a story where what's left unsaid resonates the loudest. Salt Bones demands to be read because it understands trauma and the brutal necessity of confronting it; this is storytelling at its most urgent and haunting.”
Morgan Talty, author of Night of the Living Rez and Fire Exit
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“Givhan mesmerizes with this masterful retelling of the story of Persephone and Demeter, set on the California-Mexico border. . . . Givhan thoroughly evokes the harsh beauty of her setting, weaving folklore, mystery, and horror into a breathtaking tapestry. It’s a stunning examination of generational trauma.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Jennifer Givhan has done it again with Salt Bones, a novel of visceral and celestial storytelling power, where the grieving land holds secrets as much as the characters who roam this haunting and thrilling work.”
Kali Fajardo-Anstine, bestselling author of Sabrina & Corina and Woman of Light
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“Visceral and compelling, Jennifer Givhan’s Salt Bones beautifully explores the dark complexities of mother-daughter relationships. Satisfyingly saturated with mystery and mythology, Salt Bones is a book that stays with you. Readers will be haunted long after the final page.”
Erin E. Adams, author of Jackal
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“Givhan perfectly balances the supernatural with human themes of grief and love. A timely novel that deals with the treatment of Latina women. For fans of character-driven suspense and the magical realism of Isabel Allende, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Victor LaValle.”
Library Journal (starred review)
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“A riveting family, folklore, and detective story. Jennifer Givhan is an immense talent and Salt Bones is an intense and powerful Latina and indigenous tale full of magic and mystery in search of justice.”
Cynthia Pelayo, author of Lotería
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“Salt Bones is an intense, lyrical journey of twisted family ties, long kept secrets, and haunted women— in short, it’s a wonder.”
Erika T. Wurth, author of White Horse
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“Part horror, part crime, part family drama, Salt Bones is a wonderfully compelling story about a family torn apart and struggling to reconnect. I loved the richly drawn characters, the thrilling plot, and the soaring, poetic prose that made me linger over each sentence. Salt Bones is a triumph.”
David Heska Wanbli Weiden, author of Winter Counts
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“Givhan’s prose fluidly unfolds in both English and Spanish, planting the action in the environmental and emotional pollution of El Valle, where skeletons seem more likely to bloom than flowers. The pairing of family trauma and terrifying folklore makes this a sure bet for fans of Jessica Johns and V. Castro.”
Booklist
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“In a world of Mexicali myth and post-industrial ruin, a mother-daughter bond drives an engaging thriller about missing and murdered women. Jennifer Givhan's Salt Bones is the perfect blend of political horror and other-worldly nightmares.”
Deborah Jackson Taffa, author of Whiskey Tender
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“This haunted place is vividly brought to life in a novel that combines a thrilling plot, deeply developed characters, and a poetic evocation of the borderland. . . . And it’s very, very good. Without sacrificing pacing or raw emotion, the narrative is full of arresting images and starling wordplay. The plot, too, is cleverly unfolded, all the clues in plain view but only assembled as the pieces click together. All in all, this novel is a tour de force of storytelling and an extraordinary work of crime fiction.”
Crime Fiction Review
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“A beautifully woven tale of three strong women and the family ties that support, and those that strangle. Rooted in myth, this emotionally powerful magical realist mystery has an atmosphere so thick and richly drawn you’d swear you can taste the grit of dust on your tongue. Masterful."
Ann Dávila Cardinal, author of We Need No Wings and The Storyteller’s Death
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"Salt Bones is twisty, raw, and beautiful—an atmospheric, poignant exploration of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, the scars of environmental destruction, and the mysteries that linger long after the dust settles. Jennifer Givhan's poetic prose brings the stark beauty of the Salton Sea to life, immersing readers in a world where family secrets and supernatural forces collide. A breathtaking, unforgettable read!"
Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, author of Bochica
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“A poetic mystery deftly carved from the sinews of our flawed humanity. Salt Bones’ Mal may mean ‘bad,’ but she is as good as a protagonist gets. Magical and messy, fierce but flawed, tough yet tender, you’ll find yourself rooting for her from the first page to the last, and you will not forget her story.”
Rudy Ruiz, author of The Border Between Us
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“As haunting as it is gorgeous, Salt Bones is a mystery about monsters who lurk among us—and something even fiercer: motherlove. With threads of horror, folklore, and mythology, Jennifer Givhan weaves together an obsession-worthy story so gripping and intoxicating it’s impossible to shake.”
Megan Collins, author of Cross My Heart and The Family Plot
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"Salt Bones is a riveting tale of family, lies, and secrets that will keep you guessing until the last page. But what truly makes it stand out is the poetry in every line--you don't read this book, you experience it.”
B.L. Blanchard, author of The Peacekeeper
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“Mesmerizing. . . .Blending Latina and Indigenous cultural references, Salt Bones highlights the fierce, unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters.”
Alta Journal
