Synopses & Reviews
The Book of Lost Saints is an evocative multigenerational Cuban-American family story of revolution, loss, and family bonds from New York Times-bestselling author Daniel José Older.
Marisol vanished during the Cuban Revolution, disappearing with hardly a trace. Now, shaped by atrocities long-forgotten, her tenacious spirit visits her nephew, Ramón, in modern-day New Jersey. Her hope: that her presence will prompt him to unearth their painful family history.
Ramón launches a haphazard investigation into the story of his ancestor, unaware of the forces driving him on his search. Along the way, he falls in love, faces a run-in with a murderous gangster, and uncovers the lives of the lost saints who helped Marisol during her imprisonment.
The Book of Lost Saints by Daniel José Older is a haunting meditation on family, forgiveness, and the violent struggle to be free.
Review
"Older's spellbinding novel is a fever dream full of magic and loss, wickedness and grace, faith and love, spirit and power."
Marlon James, Man Booker Prize-winning author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf
Review
"A lyrical, beautiful, devastating, literally haunting journey of assimilation, resistance, and family. Older just gets better and better."
N.K. Jemisin, award-winning author of the Broken Earth trilogy
Review
"A gritty, compelling look at love and war and the ways past actions reverberate down through the generations." Shelf Awareness
Review
"A moving, startling, boldly drawn family saga that is equal parts mystery and ghost story, with details sharp enough to cut and characters who surprise at every turn." Leigh Bardugo, worldwide bestselling author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse novels
About the Author
Daniel José Older is the New York Times-bestselling author of the young adult series Shadowshaper Cypher, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, the middle grade historical fantasy series Dactyl Hill Squad, and Star Wars: Last Shot. He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire's 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as a New York City paramedic, and hear his music on his website, on YouTube, and on Twitter.