A one-of-a-kind novel that plunges readers into the secrets of Afro-Cuban Santeria—a world of fascinating beauty, pulsating rhythms, and great mystery. Gabrielle Segovia, Ph.D., is struggling to build a career as a Latina scientist, cope with her third miscarriage, and resuscitate her marriage to fellow biology professor Benito Cruz. Becoming a santera is not in her plans. But everything changes when her best friend, the feisty Patricia Muñoz, drags her into a French Quarter voodoo shop during a conference in New Orleans. When Gabrielle gets home to the San Francisco Bay Area, the predictions from her on-a-whim reading begin to come true. That’s when she learns she hails from a long line of practitioners of Santeria, the religion created when Yoruba slaves combined their ancient rituals with Catholicism. Out of desperation to become a mother and save both her job and her marriage, Gabrielle turns to Puerto Rican relatives living in Miami she hasn’t seen since she was a child. She finds herself warmly embraced by three generations of Segovia santeras and drawn into their world of séances, sacred drums, and ritual animal sacrifice. Unexpectedly marked for initiation by the gods and goddesses of the Yoruba pantheon, Gabrielle must decide whether she can bring herself to answer the call. And, if she chooses, commit to the seemingly contradictory life of a scientist who is also a santera. In this powerful debut novel, Irete Lazo captures a vibrant world still unknown to many and relates a journey that is at once funny, heart-wrenching, and, ultimately, triumphant. As a young Latina woman with a PhD in biology, Gabriella Segovia understands what it means to have to fight for what you want and what you believe in. And the fight just got harder—her marriage is failing, the bid for tenure is approaching, and infertility is taking its toll. A chance reading at a New Orleans voodoo shop sets in motion a wave of events that throws Gabriella head-on into the mysterious world of la Religíon, or Santeria. She is at a crossroads and must choose between her current life and an unknown future shaped by Santeria. Alas, the ensuing plot in this debut novel is predictable, but Lazo’s passion for Santeria comes through in the richly detailed scenes focusing on ancient rituals and in robust descriptions of the gods and goddesses that rule this mystical world. And Lazo doesn’t hold back even when explaining the practice of animal sacrifice. However flawed in its narrative structure, Lazo’s novel is triumphant in its imaginative approach to la Religíon, a fascinating faith. --Carolyn Kubisz " The Accidental Santera is an evocative and sensitively written novel that captures the essence of a religion shrouded in mystery. It's Lazo's thinly veiled personal testament to a newly acquired faith...that brings spiritual comfort to those who follow its creed."-- San Antonio Express News  "This obviously autobiographical novel has the ring of truth....[R]eaders who want an up close and personal view of santeria will see what a rich support it is for family life, and what comfort--and responsibility--may be found there."-- The Times-Picayune  "The poignant story of one woman's journey into the fascinating world of Santería. Irete Lazo fearlessly describes the power and emotion of spiritual rituals and sheds humane insight on an often misunderstood religion. This heartfelt debut rings boldly, candidly true."—Cristina García, author of A Handbook to Luck  " The Accidental Santera is a moving, original debut novel that made me shiver with delight. Irete Lazo is that rare combination of guts, grace and passion that, when translated onto the page, gives us truly fantastic literature."—Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, bestselling author of Dirty Girls on Top "A terrifically entertaining read--filled with mysticism, spirituality, and womanist charm.  Enticing and highly recommended."--Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Voodoo Dreams and Yellow Moon   In this debut novel, a field biologist, unsatisfied in her career and unhappy in her marriage after suffering three miscarriages, discovers Santería (the Yoruba religion brought by African slaves to the Caribbean where it mixed with Catholicism). Gabrielle Segovia lets loose while attending a conference in New Orleans and has a "reading" at Madam Laveau's House of Voodoo, where the spirit tells her that she doesn't need a doctor, the babies will come when she finds her spiritual path. Back home, Gabrielle reluctantly agrees to see a fertility specialist, but despite learning that she does have physical problems, she refuses further medical care and turns to Santería to fulfill her wish to conceive. She travels to Miami and to her Santería-practicing Puerto Rican cousins, and soon Gabrielle is ditching work and planning her "ocha," her initiation into Santería. The author, writing under a pseudonym, is knowledgeable about her subject; she's a former scientist and a practicing santera, a ( Publis