Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan is an atmospheric and immersive novel that will have the sticky sweet smell of maple, decay and urine infiltrating your nose. This story deftly blends elements of gothic horror, magical realism and generational trauma to create a propulsive page turner that will leave you embroiled in suspense all the way to the jaw dropping conclusion.
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan Summary
Set in the small town of El Valle near the Mexi-Cali borderlands that’s struggling against environmental catastrophe and plagued with mystery and legend. Mal, has worked hard to provide for her daughters Griselda and Amaranta to ensure they have a future and can break free from the cursed town. She still struggles with grief and guilt from her younger sister Elena’s disappearance and its impact on her family. For she swears that La Siguanaba was there and is somehow linked to what happened that night.
So, when another young girl disappears and Mal feels the echos of history repeating itself as the horse-headed woman rears her head again and she’s plagued with supernatural visions of violence and danger. She will do all she can to get to the bottom of the mystery and to save and protect her daughters as they try to parse through truth, lies and legend
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan Novel
Genre: Horror, Gothic Horror, Magical Realism,
Publication Date: July, 22, 2025
Author Background: Jennifer Givhan is a Mexican-American and Indigenous poet who hails from the Imperial Valley a small border community in the Southern California desert and currently resided in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her two young children. Her poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction has appeared in The New Republic, The Nation, Best of the Net, Best New Poets, AGNI, TriQuarterly, Ploughshares,POETRY, Boston Review, Crazyhorse, Blackbird, The Kenyon Review, New England Review, Salon, The Rumpus, and Prairie Schooner, among many others.
Themes: Motherhood and female bonds, family secrets and generational trauma, environmental disaster and marginalization
Content/Trigger Warnings: Graphic Violence, Emotional, Domestic and Physical Abuse, Grief, Murder, Kidnapping
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan Review
Craft & Style
Stumbling upon this gem as my Aardvark Book Club selection was the best decision past me could make for future me. I had such a good time with this novel. Key standouts were the lyrical prose, atmospheric writing, magical realism, rich Latin/Indigenous culture, and Gothic elements.
Combine that with how well structured, paced and plotted this story was complete with dynamic deeply flawed characters made for a well-rounded novel. Underneath the this novel that explores the horrors of missing minority women and the impact it has on families and communities is a rich tale that uses Mexican folklore about La Siguanaba to deliver a powerful message about the depth of a mother’s love and the communal pain shared among women who’ve lost a daughter to violence. How the lack of closure, and aching emptiness of unanswered questions gnaw and destroy from the inside out.
It also explores the rot and stench of family secrets and how they can destroy the very fabric of a family. Additionally, we get to not only witness the impact of generational trauma but see on page the process of ending the trauma and changing the trajectory of a family’s future when one family member does the work to hold the line and be the example for the generation to come.
Emotional Impact
Givhan’s palpable writing cut to the quick when highlighting the pain and trauma of the Veracruz family especially Mal. Readers specifically mothers will quickly identify with Mal’s desires for her children and how she will do anything to protect her girls.
There’s also the strained relationship between Mal and her mother that’s laced with guilt, blame and grief over the loss of Elena. It highlights the challenges mothers and daughters face in their relationships primarily when there’s secrets and shame between them.
The setting of the story also adds to the heavy, claustrophobic feel of the story making you feel an overwhelming sense of dread and hopelessness. Having the town of El Valle be an isolated town on the verge of environmental collapse that will impact the families within this community heightened the events that came to pass in the novel.
Finally, the inclusion of La Sigunaba was a wonderful addition as Givhan did an excellent job of placing these supernatural visions in key places that triggered an increase in anxiety, suspicion and foreboding.
Representation
This novel represents the Latin Indigenous cultures so beautifully. From the folklore, to the beautiful inclusion of Spanish language, as well as cultural foods and traditions. Plus there was queer representation that was beautiful to see explore and supported.
Notable Strengths
This novel shines because of Givhan’s exquisite writing style. From the gorgeous prose, structure, pacing and conclusion she doesn’t miss a beat. She’s also dynamite and blending different elements of various genres in a cohesive way so that the story doesn’t feel disjointed.
Potential Challenges
The only challenge that some readers may struggle with is how Givhan infuses Spanish within the story without always providing translations. However, I don’t believe you should let you discourage your from enjoying this novel as it’s a beautiful representation of Latin culture and it’s not done in a way that will take away from the bulk of the story.
Deeper Reflection
Mal’s character was phenomenal and what I appreciated most is she was the true definition of a strong character that wasn’t dumbed down or made stupid to justify the horrors she endured. Through the use of themes such as generational trauma and dark family secrets we see Mal’s world turned upside down with her greatest fears actualized and her being forced to face her nightmare and do the burdensome work of protecting what she loves and stepping back to heal and grow.
Further proof that we don’t need weak, gullible female characters in horror who play victim but strong complex gritty female characters can be constructed where bad things can happen but they can also throw a mean right hook when needed.
Who Do I Recommend It To?
Readers that love badass women who are smart, fiery, and take no shit while also being soft and vulnerable. Also if you enjoy atmospheric, lyrical Gothic horror that blends Mexican folklore with dark family secrets, generational trauma and has something powerful to say about missing Latin women being overlooked and not receiving justice. You’ll definitely want to pick up this one.
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