Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan

1. Almost every character in Salt Bones has secrets. Which character's secret shocked you the most? Do you think secrets are always damaging, or can they sometimes protect people?
2. Malamar struggles with her loyalty to her family despite their flaws. Do you think she made the right decision in cutting ties with Papi, Mami, and Esteban? Would you have forgiven them in her position?
3. The novel explores cycles of pain passed down through generations. Do you think any character fully succeeds in healing from their family's history?
4. Mal's love for her daughters, Griselda and Amaranta, drives much of the plot. Do you think Mal is a good mother? How do her experiences with Mami affect how she parents her daughters?
5. Mal hides the truth about Gus from her daughters for years. Was this the right decision, given everything she had been through? How might things have played out differently if she had told them sooner?
6. The Callahans wield power and influence over El Valle, yet their family is fractured by secrets and betrayals. What does their family's downfall say about power and corruption?
7. The supernatural figure of La Siguanaba plays a major role in the novel. Do you think she represents justice, vengeance, or something else? How did your perception of her change throughout the book?
8. What do you feel the mythical character of El Cucuy represents? How does the relationship between La Sigunanaba and El Cucuy mirror various relationships in the book?
9. Harlan Callahan confesses to murder and ultimately takes his own life, but he also tries to protect Amaranta and Mal (and by extension, Griselda) in the end. How do you feel about his character?
10. The novel is deeply rooted in the landscape of El Valle, California, the Salton Sea, and the Callahan estate. How does the setting influence the atmosphere of the book? Does the environmental desolation mirror the emotional turmoil of the characters? Or does the landscape represent something else to you?
11. Mal's work as a whole-animal butcher is an unusual profession for a female protagonist. How do you think this career choice reflects her personality and life philosophy?
12. In Chapter 12, Mal reflects, "Whatever choice a mother makes is the wrong one." The choices that Mal makes — and the choices that her mother, Vero, makes — have significant consequences. How did you feel about both characters as parents and as women? Did your opinion change by the end of the novel?
13. Do you think redemption is possible for any of the Veracruz family members who were involved in the cover-up of Elena's death?
14. From Mal to Griselda, Amaranta, and La Siguanaba, women in this novel hold tremendous power, even in the face of oppression. How do different female characters wield their power, and who do you think was the strongest character in the end?
15. The novel is inspired by the Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter. What significant parallels did you see between Salt Bones and the original myth? What are the most significant ways you feel the two stories diverge? Why might the author have chosen this myth as a launching point?
16. In the end, the bodies of other missing girls are found, and the truth about the Callahans is exposed. Is justice served? What did you think of the revelations of who else was responsible for each missing girl in El Valle?
17. The novel ends with Mal recognizing that she will always be haunted by her family's past but also reclaiming land for herself and her daughters. Do you think this was the best possible outcome for her? If not, how would you have preferred her story to end?
18. How does this novel shape or deepen your understanding of the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women?
19. The author has stated in interviews that she wanted to tell people about the Salton Sea environmental crisis, so she wrapped it in a murder mystery to get people to listen. How did you see the social justice and eco-political aspects of the novel working in tandem with the thriller, horror, or murder mystery elements of the story?
20. Mal says in the epilogue that you can love a place without staying; you can love yourself more. Do you think this is true? What might this say about the author's intentions for writing this novel?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Mulholland. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.