I just finished reading The Accidental Santera: A Novel
I’ll be honest. I didn’t have very high hopes for the book, originally.
At the start of the book, the Spanish dialog being used between the character just seemed too forced. It may have been intended to add extra credibility to the “latina” main character, but it ended up making me feel something in between alienation and annoyance, since I only know a very small amount of Spanish, myself.
As the book progressed, though, there was a bit less Spanish and I could focus on the plot.
There were a few parts that I couldn’t quite relate to — getting a reading by a santero without knowing anything about Santeria, receiving Orisha so soon after being exposed to the religion, etc.
A lot of it dealt with Ifa, which I only know the smallest little bit about. That was actually good, though, I think… If it was about Lucumi or one of the traditions I know more about, I might get distracted from the story due to differences in tradition, beliefs, etc.
There was also a lot of it, though, that I could definitely relate to. That was probably what I liked most. Being able to look back at an event and know I wasn’t the only one to think certain things… or even just seeing how things played out differently for the main character versus for me. It made it easier a lot easier to get wrapped into the book. The main issues being worked through in the book revolved around the change from viewing the world (and ones self) in a practical and rational sense to one of faith and belief. I could definitely relate to that situation. Same goes for the main character’s work environment — one where peers/employers knowing she was a santera would likely lead to discrimination (whether overt or behind-the-scenes).
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anyone — whether they have any ties to the religion or not…
UPDATE: There’s a podcast out there featuring an interview with the author, if you’re interesting in giving it a listen.
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