Are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?

Georgia, 1970s. Velma Henry, once a formidable political activist, has grown weary and disillusioned with the fight for civil rights. Burdened with depression, she finds herself in the hands of a community of Black faith healers after a suicide attempt. Embracing their methods, Velma begins to work back through her rage and fear, slowly releasing herself from a traumatic past.

First published in 1980, The Salt Eaters is a rich, optimistic and formally experimental novel - 'a book full of marvels' (New Yorker). It is boldly political in its exploration of intersectionality, and its commentary on the self is profound, illuminating how the health of the individual depends upon shared cultural identity and spiritual connection.