River Woman, River Demon
A Novel

Quotes

“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

“A murder mystery with organic roots in the otherworldly…There are all the expected thrills and chills as well as some unexpected ones, but the real gift here is Givhan’s command of language. She employs gorgeous metaphors and crass slang with precision. In a similar way, the mystical and the earthly are seamlessly intertwined, in place as well as in plot. It’s not often that we get a story of hoodoo and conjuring that presents these as religious elements rather than sensational ones. Eva embodies these complexities as well; she’s a memorable and multifaceted heroine. Sharp as glass shards and lush as the desert after the rain, the writing is the true magic here.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Givhan’s River Woman, River Demon is full of unexpected magick, hauntings, and secrets as a woman makes sense of her past and her power. I loved figuring out with her what exactly she was capable of.” Sarah Blake, author of Clean Air 

“Jenn Givhan is a powerful conjurer of words. In River Woman, River Demon she has woven a tale rich in culture, folklore, and social relevance. Intriguing, suspenseful, and inspiring, the novel reminds us that no matter how dark life may become, we don’t need to be perfect and we don’t have to fight every battle alone to rise toward the light.” Rudy Ruiz, author of The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez and Valley of Shadows

“Riveting…Featuring lush, evocative prose and beautiful, detailed descriptions of people and places, the book is difficult to put down…River Woman, River Demon is a seamless psychological and supernatural thriller about resilience and personal empowerment.” Foreword Reviews (starred review)

“In River Woman, River Demon, Givhan writes: ‘For us folks of color, conjuring isn’t entertainment; it’s the brass key pointing us to freedom.’ And with this novel Givhan wholly embodies this thesis, manifesting a richly textured exploration of personal pain, trauma, and loss, while capturing that slippery dreamlike beyond that people of color feel in our bones. River Woman, River Demon is a major working, a novel both visceral and revelatory.” Cadwell Turnbull, award-winning author of No Gods, No Monsters

“[A] thrilling tale…[A] wonderfully written Magickal ride full of red herrings, plot twists, and authentic Magick in the Shadowlands.” Jamie Della, author of The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft

“This book is a stunner. Thank you, Jenn Givhan, for creating a book of such power, spirituality, mystery, intersectional thoughtfulness, and resonance.” Angelique Zobitz, author of Love Letters to the Revolution

Awards

• We Are Bookish Pick
• Good Housekeeping Pick
• Yahoo!Life
• A Rap Sheet Pick
• Barnes & Noble Pick
• Goodreads Pick
• CrimeReads Pick
• Sarah Selects Pick
• Betches.com
• Foreword Reviews Pick
• BuzzFeed Books Pick
• New Mexico--Arizona Book Award
• Ms. Magazine Pick
• Literary Hub Pick
• Good Housekeeping Best Book
• Hip Latina Pick
• Book Riot Pick
• Spur Award