First published 2012
Marina Lucero opens her doors to lost souls in the San Fernando Valley. Her father found peace through meditation. Her mother devoted herself to a Carmelite convent. Marina expected spirituality to flow naturally through her life. Instead, a crushing relationship leaves her adrift and searching. She welcomes the battered woman from next door. Her alcoholic sister moves in. Her directionless nephew arrives with his heartbroken friend. The house fills with voices and needs, but Marina's emptiness persists. She seeks answers from Gandhi's teachings and the Dalai Lama's wisdom. A Santeria priest offers to cleanse her home of negative energy. Marina navigates the mess of daily disappointments and unexpected joys. She discovers that caring for others creates its own form of spiritual practice. The chaos she feared becomes the path to contentment she never expected to find.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary, spirituality
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: emotional-journey, found-family
Setting: San Fernando Valley
Period: Contemporary
432 pages · Paperback · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness