SALT BONES is here from Mulholland/Little, Brown! Available now where you buy books! Read an exclusive sneak peek from a chapter from SALT BONES in Cosmopolitan Magazine here!
“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.” —Los Angeles Times
“Givhan mesmerizes with this masterful retelling of the story of Persephone and Demeter, set on the California-Mexico border. . . . a stunning examination of generational trauma.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“As haunting as it is gorgeous, Salt Bones is a mystery about monsters who lurk among us—and something even fiercer: motherlove. an obsession-worthy story so gripping and intoxicating it’s impossible to shake.”
—Megan Collins, author of Cross My Heart
“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
“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, NYT bestselling author of The House in the Pines
“Visceral and compelling, SALT BONES is a book that stays with you. Readers will be haunted long after the final page.”
—Erin E. Adams, author of JACKAL
“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 The Storyteller’s Death
“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, award-winning author of Valley of Shadows
“In a world of Mexicali myth and post-industrial ruin, a mother-daughter bond drives an engaging thriller about missing and murdered women. the perfect blend of political horror and other-worldly nightmares.”
—Deborah Jackson Taffa, author of Whiskey Tender
“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. A breathtaking, unforgettable read!”
—Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, author of Bochica
“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
“taut with a mother’s fierce love and the corrosive power of secrets. a masterclass in voice. 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, bestselling author of Night of the Living Rez
“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 Woman of Light
order SALT BONES from your local bookstore HERE!
“Jennifer Givhan has invoked a delectable spellbinder. River Woman, River Demon is a conjuring of equal parts murder mystery, brujería, sex and romance, hauntings and terror, femme empowerment, all with a dash of Northern New Mexican cooking. ¡Buen provecho!” —Ana Castillo, award-winning author of So Far from God
“I never thought I’d see the Great Mexicali Novel. Jennifer Givhan teaches us new things about borders, including the shadowy borders of the mind. Intense.” —Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The House of Broken Angels
Watch the book trailer:
RIVER WOMAN, RIVER DEMON from Blackstone Publishing is a genre-blurring psychological thriller with an unstable Latina & indigenous mama protagonist that weaves together threads of folk Magick and the horror of everyday life in the margins with personal and cultural empowerment.
My first novel Trinity Sight won the Southwest Book Award, and I am an NEA and PEN Emerging Voices fellowship recipient, a poet and novelist drawn to the stories of my Indigenous Ancestors, primarily in the Southwest along the US-Mexico border.
I create Latina and Indigenous thrillers that overturn concepts of the borderlands and re-envision what’s possible in these liminal spaces. My protagonists are strong women who are transformed and, via magical realism, change the world around them.
At its heart, River Woman, River Demon is a ghost story of redemption and reclamation of one’s own unique voice.
The San Diego Union-Tribune writes:
“Now comes “River Woman, River Demon,” which was recently nominated for a New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. As we watch Eva struggle to defend her husband, protect her kids and fight off the ghosts in her head and the gaslighting enemies in her life, we get to see what happens when a literary sorceress throws poetry, magic, motherhood and misogyny into a cauldron, turns up the genre heat and lets it all boil.”
“Featuring lush, evocative prose and beautiful, detailed descriptions of people and places, the book is difficult to put down.” -Foreword Starred Review ✯
“Interwoven with magic of both Mexican and Indigenous origins, this haunting tale will sweep up listeners. Recommended for fans of Rudy Ruiz and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.” —Library Journal
“Compelling, riveting, swimming in gritty feminine power. This is a twisted story of passion, mental fortitude, deception and guilt.” -Goodreads Reader
Get an exclusive sneak peek of the first chapter!
Find out more about RIVER WOMAN, RIVER DEMON!
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About Me
I’m Jenn Givhan, poeta novelista curandera healing generational trauma in the desert. The author of eleven books, I empower girls, women, and femmes to release shame and reach our dreams through our creativity. In my own life, I do this through poetry, fiction, essays, coaching and mentoring, and teaching classes! I raise my two beautiful children beside the Sleeping Sister volcanoes in New Mexico. Read more
Let’s hang out
For media inquiries, please contact my literary agent Rebecca Friedman:
rebecca[at]rfliterary.com
For publicity requests, please contact Alyssa Persons at Little, Brown:
alyssa.persons[at]hbgusa.com
For film/TV rights, please contact Katrina Escudero at Sugar23:
kescudero[at]sugar23.com