Together We Read: River Woman, River Demon
If you’d like to join a book club, consider taking part in Together We Read, a two-week digital book club. Connect with thousands of other readers across the country as you read the same book at the same time.
River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan is the Together We Read selection for March. You can borrow the eBook or audiobook using the Ohio Digital Library via the Libby app. There are no holds or waitlists for the book during March 1 through 15. Join the discussion on social media using #togetherweread.
Description of River Woman, River Demon
Jennifer Givhan’s River Woman, River Demon is an exquisitely written, spell-binding psychological thriller—weaving together folk magick with personal and cultural empowerment.
When Eva’s husband is arrested for the murder of a friend, she must confront her murky past and embrace her magick to find out what really happened that night on the river.
Eva Santos Moon is a burgeoning Chicana artist who practices the ancient, spiritual ways of brujería and curanderisma, but she’s at one of her lowest points—suffering from disorienting blackouts, creative stagnation, and a feeling of disconnect from her magickal roots.
When her husband, a beloved university professor and the glue that holds their family together, is taken into custody for the shocking murder of their friend, Eva doesn’t know whom to trust—least of all, herself. She soon falls under suspicion as a potential suspect, and her past rises to the surface, dredging up the truth about an eerily similar death from her childhood.
Struggling with fragmented memories and self-doubt, an increasingly terrified Eva fears that she might have been involved in both murders. But why doesn’t she remember? Only the dead women know for sure, and they’re coming for her with a haunting vengeance.
As she fights to keep her family out of danger, Eva realizes she must use her magick as a bruja to protect herself and her loved ones, while confronting her own dark history.
about jennifer givhan
Jennifer Givhan is a Mexican-American and Indigenous poet and novelist who grew up in the Imperial Valley, a small, border community in the Southern California desert.
Her work tends toward magical realism and dark psychological motherhood that reflects back on an often darker sociopolitical landscape, but the shadow work exists to reveal the light, and that’s always her goal–to shine that hopeful light amidst the darkness.
Among her influences are Toni Morison and Ana Castillo, and some of my recent faves are Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing and Victor Lavalle’s The Changeling.
From the author’s website
Want to continue the discussion? Jennifer Givhan has created discussion questions for River Woman, River Demon. (PDF)
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In closing
Enjoy discussing River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan as part of Together We Read, a digital book club.
If you’re looking for other book suggestions, explore our online resource, NoveList Plus. Or sign up for Recommends, our personalized reading suggestions via email service. Or ask Library staff during your next visit.
