In Irete Lazo’s highly regarded first novel, The Accidental Santera, Lazo takes us on an endearing spiritual journey as Latina scientist Gabrielle Segovia, Ph.D discovers her culture and her calling.
The fictional story – laced with tension, laughter and beauty – follows Gabrielle, a Puerto Rican-Mexican career driven scientist, struggling to have a family with her equally busy scientist husband. Yet, one day while on a conference in New Orleans, Gabrielle has a few drinks too many and dances with the possibility of infidelity. Shocked by her actions, she goes on a chance reading in a voodoo shop where she learns that it is time to reconnect to her Puerto Rican roots and become the santera she was always meant to be.
According to Lazo, the book came about through her journey into the world of Santería.
“It really came from my own experiences,” Lazo said.
Lazo originally began working on a completely different book, but after looking at her own life, she realized that there was something there that would capture readers.
“How did I end up [with] someone trained as a scientist becoming a santera? It had legs, so I went with it,” she said.
Even though much of the book does include aspects of Lazo’s journey into her new religion, she stressed that it ultimately is a fictional story.
“My journey took 10 years, and not one year like Gabrielle.”
Like with many religions in the world, there are many misconceptions surrounding the practices of santería. Lazo, however, notes that she was not consciously out to break any stereotypes, because as an academic – and a Latina – breaking stereotypes is what she has always done.
“My whole life has been to break stereotypes. It was more about telling a truthful ...