Outside the Bones [Paperback]

Lyn Di Iorio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2011

Fina is a big girl with a big mouth. She's the neighborhood bruja, or spirit worker as she likes to call herself, casting spells for her neighbors in Manhattan's Upper West Side. She can't believe it, though, when she puts an accidental fufu or spell on Chico, the irresistible trumpet player who lives upstairs. "With so many scraps of his clothing . . . sprinkled with blood, gunpowder, sugar, spit, and God knows what else, poor Chico's body didn't know if it was being cursed or blessed."

Chico recovers just as two women from his past turn up: his former beauty-queen lover and an attractive young woman claiming to be his long-dead daughter. Fina is not pleased. So she visits her mentor, Tata Victor Tumba Fuego, Master of Fire. He specializes in Palo Monte, the Afro-Caribbean magical art of controlling and manipulating spirits housed in cauldrons. The Ancient One, the oldest spirit working for Victor, wants a blood sacrifice from Fina, something she has managed to avoid. "We ain't on the island no more, we don't sacrifice in the mountains of Africa or Cuba; we do it in our apartments." But she needs help, so she'll do what it takes. All too soon she finds herself involved with a spirit whose quest for revenge can't be stopped.

Weaving Afro-Caribbean witchcraft rituals with the sixteen-year-old mystery of a woman's disappearance, Outside the Bones is an erotically charged ghost story set in both present-day New York and Puerto Rico. Following in the tradition of Anne Rice, Lyn Di Iorio s brilliant debut novel takes a mesmerizing look at issues of race, class, power and greed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In Outside the Bones [Di Iorio] lets fly with a brash and impulsive voice that never lets up.  The sheer energy of the narrative perfectly matches Fina's passionate spirit.  This novel will resonate with fans of Oscar Hijuelos' The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz."  --ForeWord Reviews

"A story of witchcraft, voodoo, race, greed, and power, Outside the Bones blends them all into a very unique and highly entertaining brew that will be hard to put down." --The Midwest Book Review

"Sometimes it's almost impossible to tell whether a book is an author's first.  And in this case, Lyn Di Iorio writes as if she has a dozen novels to her credit. There is an appealing darkness to this novel as it draws the reader into a world of black magic." --2012 Top Ten Latino Authors to Watch (and Read), LatinoStories.com 

"Come meet Fina, the irrepressible, hilarious, tough-talking heroine of Lyn Di Iorio's delightful first novel, Outside the Bones. Written with humor and verve, no small amount of magic and the sassy supernatural, this no-holds barred story will grab you by the lapels and not let you go." --Cristina Garcia, author of The Lady Matador's Hotel

"Utilizing rhythmic prose and enchanting humor, Lyn Di Iorio has written a brilliant love story full of magical urbanism that is sure to make Outside the Bones a modern-day classic." --Ernesto Quinonez, author of Chango's Fire and Bodega Dreams

"Fina, the narrator of Outside the Bones is both raw and delicate, a particularly entertaining variation of the id writ large. Di Iorio's observations are potent and poetic. A moving and entertaining read." --Darcey Steinke, author of Suicide Blonde

"Toni Morrison meets Alexander McCall Smith on Manhattan's Upper West Side in this brilliant tale of ghosting and rescue by Di Iorio's unlikely heroine. Driven by raw humor, a wonderful eroticism and a laser ear, the author listens in on Fina's world and shares observations as powerful as the noise from the cauldron." --Catherine E. McKinley, author of Indigo: In Search of the Color that Seduced the World

"In the entertainingly loud and street-toughened voice of a Nuyorican 'big girl,' Lyn Di Iorio's readers first believe that they're following the erotic detailing of an old murder mystery, only to find themselves on a journey stretching from Manhattan's Upper West Side through Central Park to a place in Puerto Rico where river and sea meet, where a body burned and where the bones have yet to find peace. A fresh and original approach to fiction grounded in Afro-Caribbean spirituality." --Marie-Elena John, author of Unburnable


Lyn Di Iorio's first novel is a weirdly compelling, funny, sexy, and deeply strange tale of a Nuyorican practitioner of Palo Monte. [Di Iorio] has taken the crime story to a strange and mysterious new place. Adventurous readers interested in Afro-Caribbean culture will want to follow her there. --Mystery Scene Magazine

About the Author

LYN DI IORIO grew up in Puerto Rico and came to the Mainland to attend Harvard University, from which she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She received her master's degree from Stanford University's Creative Writing Program and her doctorate in English literature from the University of California at Berkeley. She teaches literature and creative writing at The City College of New York and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.  She is also the author of scholarly books on Latino literature.  Outside the Bones was named BEST DEBUT NOVEL by a Latino writer on the 2011 Latinidad Best Books list.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Arte Publico Pr (September 30, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558857036
• ISBN-13: 978-1558857032
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #802,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lyn Di lorio was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Puerto Rican mother and an Italian/Hungarian father. She grew up in Puerto Rico and came to the Mainland to attend Harvard University. She received her Master's degree from Stanford University's Creative Writing Program and her Ph.D. in English from the University of California at Berkeley. She teaches Caribbean literature at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York and the City College of New York. OUTSIDE THE BONES won a SILVER award in the Literary Category of ForeWord Review's Book of the Year Contest, was a finalist for the John Gardner Fiction award and other prizes, and was also BEST DEBUT NOVEL on the 2011 Latinidad List. Lyn is now working on a second novel, which was a runner-up for the 2011 Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society Novel-in-Progress Award. She is #2 on the 2012 TOP TEN LATINO AUTHORS TO WATCH AND READ LIST: http://latinostories.com/Top_Ten_Lists/top_10_authors.htm

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and magical September 20, 2011

By JaneE

Format:Paperback

I got my pre-order copy of this book today and I read it in one sitting. The protagonist Fina is a delightful, lovable character; reading her thoughts is like going inside the mind of a woman in modern-day Caribbean-dominated Harlem. The prose is just stunning -- reminiscent of Junot Diaz' The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Di Iorio weaves in magic and poetry with everyday vulgarity/hilarity, creating a unique vibe that feels like the real New York. I highly recommend this novel.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An impressive and engaging debut October 2, 2011

By Pickfordm

Format:Paperback

Lyn Di Iorio's "Outside the Bones" is an intelligent read, fast-paced and packed with adventure. The narrator, Fina, is a bruja, a self described "spirit worker," who after the breakup of her marriage begins to take her gifts more seriously. When she casts a few spells in an attempt to win the heart of Chico,the sexy trumpet player who lives in her apartment building, and to get rid of her competition, she becomes enmeshed in an intricate web of intrigue and murder. As Fina gets to the core of the mystery, she also learns the secrets of her own long-buried past. Di Iorio also provides vivid descriptions of the rituals of Palo, an Afro-Caribbean religio-magical tradition, as Fina learns to cast spells and fly with the nfuiris, or spirits, which fill her world. Altogether, this is an accessible and entertaining novel, and an impressive literary debut.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outside the Bones by Lyn Di Iorio January 3, 2012

By DAECLECTICMC

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Lyn Di Iorio's debut novel, Outside the Bones, is a brilliant literary achievement that places her in an elite group of Latino writers who posses a distinctive voice bursting with verve, humor, lyricism and originality. Fina, the narrator-protagonist of Outside the Bones, is a feisty East Harlem Latina willing to do anything to capture the heart of Chico, a Puerto Rican mujeriego trumpet player with a dark past. Known as the neighborhood bruja for working little trabajitos and fufús, Fina delves even deeper into the world of the supernatural when she seeks the help of Tata Victor, a palero who specializes in Palo Monte, to assist her in her plan to seduce Chico. But unfortunately, Fina's plan of seduction takes an unexpected turn when she is possessed by a spirit who is out for blood. Taking us from New York to the island of Puerto Rico and back again, Outside the Bones, takes us on a magical journey from which we emerge, as if from a spell cast by Di Iorio and her storytelling prowess, fully convinced of the power of the novel.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!! October 13, 2011

By Maxima

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a thrilling read that is absolutely fabulous, incredible, addictive, and takes you places you don't want to know then you want more, to be deep inside the human and strong feminine pysche.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mysticism and lyrical language in a world of grit and greed December 28, 2011

By LlanosD

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Lyn Di Iorio's Outside the Bones offers a doorway into a totally different reality. The first part of the book is rooted in a gritty, urban New York City realism which soon leads the reader into the largely unknown world of African religion and mysticism that exists just below the surface. The streetwise main character ushers us into a richly woven tale of secrets that spans from the a world of Puerto Rican wealth and privilege to the harsher realities of contemporary East Harlem. The author uses wonderfully lyrical language to bring us into the consciousness of supernatural beings as they interact with the world of the living. The beauty of the language lifts the novel above the average plot-driven mystery to an interesting exploration of class, eroticism, power, love and vengeance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Literary June 5, 2013

By slyPens

Format:Paperback

What a wonderful book. This book kept me enthralled from the moment I picked it up. She open's the window into the world of magical realism. If you enjoy Piri Thomas and Junot Diaz, then Di Iorio's prose will enchant you. It's amazing to see how Di Iorio takes leaps and bounds into the magical and extraordinary. Especially, the authenticity and imagery with which Di Iorio depicts Victor's apartment. You can feel the convoluted scene; the murkiness of the cauldrons, the spirits plus the uncertainty that Fina feels. And Fina is a remarkable character with her flaws and genuine want for love and happiness. This novel evokes a true gritty urban drama's, fear and sensuality, a citified love story that de-cloaks New York City's Afro-Caribbean witchcraft culture. If your imagination is as free as Fina flying over the city, I'm certain you'll enjoy all that is meant to be about this well crafted debut novel. She is definitely at the top of my list!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Kind of strange, but fun November 27, 2012

By David A. Tillyer

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is kind of crazy, kind of strange, but it's an interesting read.
The cast of characters is not what you would expect at a church picnic,
but who wants that in a novel anyway. Di Iorio is an interesting new
find for me.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A witch's brew! October 8, 2012

By Isabel A.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Outside the Bones" is a hot pot of feelings and hopes and disappointments and brutal realities... The plot thickens just like a witch's brew and it gets hot - on so many levels. Proper ventilation recommended when reading. Es una (mog)olla de bruja!