Book of the Month
SALT BONES
Author: Jennifer Givhan
Publisher: Mulholland Books
ISBN-10:0316581526 / ISBN-13: 978-0316581523
SUMMARY:
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.
About the Author:
Jennifer Givhan is a Mexican American and Indigenous poet, novelist and curandera from the Southwestern desert. She is the author of eleven books, and the recipient of poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and PEN/Rosenthal Emerging Voices. She holds a Master’s degree from California State University Fullerton and a master’s in Fine Arts from Warren Wilson College. Givhan is the author of five full-length poetry collections and the novel River Woman, River Demon.
Website: https://jennifergivhan.com/
Instagram: @jenngivhan
Facebook: @jenn.givhan.3
Conversations With Book
LATINA SUPERHEROES: JALISCO & SANTA
Author: Kayden Phoenix
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ISBN-10:1524892580 / ISBN-13: 978-1524892586
SUMMARY:
Meet Jalisco and Santa. Jalisco, a spirited girl from the outskirts of Guadalajara, finds her life shattered when her mother mysteriously disappears. Brushed off by authorities, Jalisco’s quest for truth leads her to the Adelitas, a clandestine group fighting against the sinister forces behind the femicides plaguing their community. Determined to uncover the fate of her beloved mother, Jalisco embarks on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, guided by the unwavering strength of sisterhood.
Santa is from Wexo, a town on the Texan/Mexican border. The upcoming elections are threatening to put a corrupt politician in power: Ilena Chavez-Estevez AKA ICE. Santa joins the other candidate’s campaign and fights. Racial tensions begin to rise within the town. And when citizens of Wexo begin to disappear one by one, Santa must raid the detention camps and take down ICE.
About the Author:
Kayden Phoenix is a Chicana Writer and Director from East Los Angeles, California. She created the first Latina superhero team in comic book history: A LA BRAVA. “A big part of my life’s purpose is to give voice to stories as multifaceted, atypical, and diverse as the people we find in the real world.”
Website: https://kaydenphoenix.com/
Instagram: @kaydenphoenix






