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The Realm of Hungry Spirits
The award-winning author of The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters returns with a new novel about a woman who craves solitude, only to find family more fulfilling.
In Buddhism, there is a place where hungry souls gather between lives awaiting rebirth so they can finally satisfy the desires that haunt them.
In the San Fernando Valley, that place is Marina Lucero's house.
The Realm of Hungry Spirits
For Marina Lucero, whose father transformed his life through meditation and whose mother gave hers to a Carmelite convent, spirituality should come easily. It doesn't. After a devastating relationship leaves her feeling lost and alone, she opens her home to a collection of wayward souls-- the abused woman next door and her alcoholic sister, her aimless nephew and his broken-hearted best friend. Her house now full but her heart still empty, Marina then turns to the wisdom of Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, even a Santeria priest who wants to cleanse her home.
As Marina struggles to balance the disappointments and delights of daily life, she'll learn that, when it comes to inner peace and those we love, a little chaos can lead to a lot of happiness.
In Buddhism, there is a place where hungry souls gather between lives awaiting rebirth so they can finally satisfy the desires that haunt them.
In the San Fernando Valley, that place is Marina Lucero's house.
The Realm of Hungry Spirits
For Marina Lucero, whose father transformed his life through meditation and whose mother gave hers to a Carmelite convent, spirituality should come easily. It doesn't. After a devastating relationship leaves her feeling lost and alone, she opens her home to a collection of wayward souls-- the abused woman next door and her alcoholic sister, her aimless nephew and his broken-hearted best friend. Her house now full but her heart still empty, Marina then turns to the wisdom of Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, even a Santeria priest who wants to cleanse her home.
As Marina struggles to balance the disappointments and delights of daily life, she'll learn that, when it comes to inner peace and those we love, a little chaos can lead to a lot of happiness.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 22, 2022
The Realm of Hungry Spirits exhibits all the characteristics that keep me coming back to her work: flawed, sympathethic characters; beautifuly sculpted, accessable prose; and narratives designed to explore and reveal relationships.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
September 3, 2021
I didn’t love or hate this book. The ending was cute and it had a decent underlying message, it was just not that entertaining to me.
November 26, 2023
Marina Lopez has a house full. How these people come to be in her house is the story. Fun, entertaining, you can't help but like Marina. Enjoyed this book.
Read
October 7, 2014Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME on April 25, 2011
Format: Paperback
Growing up in a devout fundamentalist household, thirtyish schoolteacher Marina Lucero has gone the complete opposite of her dogmatic parents as she has grave doubts about organized religion. Instead she turns to the Dalai Lama for spiritual enlightenment.
However, heeding to the Dalai's code to care for the downtrodden proves difficult. The dependents at school, in the neighborhood and her family take their toll on her mental state. Her former boyfriend shows chutzpah when he arrives with his list after dumping her on Valentine's Day. Her sister makes demands of her though offers nothing in return except more demands. Rudy's best friend, a Santeria priest, threatens to give her the evil eye if she fails to fill his order. As her life implodes and tragedies occur, Marina wonders what she did to deserve this; her self-deprecating answer is being the sucker Good Samaritan; so she knows it is time for no more Ms. nice guy as she needs to cleanse her soul.
This is an amusing dark lampooning of the Good Samaritan who tries to be there for everyone else, but has no time to take care of herself. This work is satirical as the support cast keeps making demands on the protagonist who fails to say no even to those who hurt or threaten her. Although the story line is too long as the demand and supply becomes too frequent, fans will enjoy this dark jocular satire as readers conclude that even the Dalai Lama would retire rather than deal with her demanding crowd.
Harriet Klausner
Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
A Chicana in search of enlightenment. A must read!
By Teresa Dovalpage on October 26, 2011
Format: Paperback
The Realm of Hungry Spirits (Grand Central, 2011) is a modern story of a young woman's path toward enlightenment. In this well-written, funny novel by Lorraine López, PEN Faulkner Award finalist and author of The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters, characters leap off the page and take a life of their own.
Kindhearted Marina offers shelter and food to her sister's former boyfriend, a "tough-loved" nephew and a little dog she names Feo. An elementary school teacher in a spiritual quest, she is determined to put into practice the Dalai Lama's words and follow the example of Mahatma Gandhi. But this becomes a challenging task. Her lazy guests and a former lover who insists on pushing a Santeria ceremony on her test Marina's patience beyond the limits of sainthood and she often ends up unleashing her sharp tongue instead of practicing restrain. But it is difficult to blame her!
In a lighthearted tone, the novel deals with serious issues like the meaning of suffering, religion vs. spirituality and the discovery of family secrets... The author skillfully weaves poignant scenes with laugh-until-your-belly-hurts moments. Marina's monologues illuminate not only hers but other character's mindsets. A Santeria babalawo, a grieving mother and the kids in Marina's classroom make up a motley, but compelling crew.
All the characters, from leopard print-wearing Rosaura to the Buddhist-Nudist substitute teacher seem as real as your next-door neighbors. The narrative flows seamlessly toward a clean cut ending, un final super limpio though no Santeria-style limpieza is performed. Will there be a second part, a sequel about Marina's new adventures on the realm of satisfied and happy beings? I certainly hope so. Ojalá que sí!
Format: Paperback
Growing up in a devout fundamentalist household, thirtyish schoolteacher Marina Lucero has gone the complete opposite of her dogmatic parents as she has grave doubts about organized religion. Instead she turns to the Dalai Lama for spiritual enlightenment.
However, heeding to the Dalai's code to care for the downtrodden proves difficult. The dependents at school, in the neighborhood and her family take their toll on her mental state. Her former boyfriend shows chutzpah when he arrives with his list after dumping her on Valentine's Day. Her sister makes demands of her though offers nothing in return except more demands. Rudy's best friend, a Santeria priest, threatens to give her the evil eye if she fails to fill his order. As her life implodes and tragedies occur, Marina wonders what she did to deserve this; her self-deprecating answer is being the sucker Good Samaritan; so she knows it is time for no more Ms. nice guy as she needs to cleanse her soul.
This is an amusing dark lampooning of the Good Samaritan who tries to be there for everyone else, but has no time to take care of herself. This work is satirical as the support cast keeps making demands on the protagonist who fails to say no even to those who hurt or threaten her. Although the story line is too long as the demand and supply becomes too frequent, fans will enjoy this dark jocular satire as readers conclude that even the Dalai Lama would retire rather than deal with her demanding crowd.
Harriet Klausner
Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
A Chicana in search of enlightenment. A must read!
By Teresa Dovalpage on October 26, 2011
Format: Paperback
The Realm of Hungry Spirits (Grand Central, 2011) is a modern story of a young woman's path toward enlightenment. In this well-written, funny novel by Lorraine López, PEN Faulkner Award finalist and author of The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters, characters leap off the page and take a life of their own.
Kindhearted Marina offers shelter and food to her sister's former boyfriend, a "tough-loved" nephew and a little dog she names Feo. An elementary school teacher in a spiritual quest, she is determined to put into practice the Dalai Lama's words and follow the example of Mahatma Gandhi. But this becomes a challenging task. Her lazy guests and a former lover who insists on pushing a Santeria ceremony on her test Marina's patience beyond the limits of sainthood and she often ends up unleashing her sharp tongue instead of practicing restrain. But it is difficult to blame her!
In a lighthearted tone, the novel deals with serious issues like the meaning of suffering, religion vs. spirituality and the discovery of family secrets... The author skillfully weaves poignant scenes with laugh-until-your-belly-hurts moments. Marina's monologues illuminate not only hers but other character's mindsets. A Santeria babalawo, a grieving mother and the kids in Marina's classroom make up a motley, but compelling crew.
All the characters, from leopard print-wearing Rosaura to the Buddhist-Nudist substitute teacher seem as real as your next-door neighbors. The narrative flows seamlessly toward a clean cut ending, un final super limpio though no Santeria-style limpieza is performed. Will there be a second part, a sequel about Marina's new adventures on the realm of satisfied and happy beings? I certainly hope so. Ojalá que sí!
July 29, 2012
Marina Lucero is having a stressful week.
In the first 50 pages of Lorraine López’s 2011 novel The Realm of Hungry Spirits, Marina has to comfort friends who lost their newborn baby; sees a neighbor being abused by her husband; puts up with two young adults crashing in her home; and ponders an offer to have her home cleansed in a Santeria practice.
“It’s like you’re host to a whole realm of hungry spirits,” one character tells her.
But Marina, a divorced teacher in the Los Angeles area, turns to Buddhism to practice compassion for others. It’s something she’s needed for a long time.
“(I wonder) why my life has to be this way: long stretches of mundane nothingness interrupted by a succession of tortuous days,” she says.
This book has plenty of drama, including one stunning twist at the end, but Hungry Spirits is actually a funny, fast-paced book that reminded me of Denise Chavez’s Loving Pedro Infante.
My one complaint is that the book is stuffed with so many characters that I should have created a chart to keep up with everyone.
But López does a great job of showing the importance – and annoyance – of family in Latino life and, in a nice touch, she also mentions a few Hispanic authors.
A special nod should go to the book’s publisher, Grand Central Publishing, which has published several terrific novels by Latinas in the past few years – including Julia Amante’s Say You’ll Be Mine; Leila Cobo’s The Second Time We Met; and Gwendolyn Zepeda’s recently released Better With You Here.
Like Hungry Spirits, these are easy to read books that women will relate to and enjoy.
Note: This review appeared in my blog, The Hispanic Reader. http://hispanicreader.com
I purchased this book.
In the first 50 pages of Lorraine López’s 2011 novel The Realm of Hungry Spirits, Marina has to comfort friends who lost their newborn baby; sees a neighbor being abused by her husband; puts up with two young adults crashing in her home; and ponders an offer to have her home cleansed in a Santeria practice.
“It’s like you’re host to a whole realm of hungry spirits,” one character tells her.
But Marina, a divorced teacher in the Los Angeles area, turns to Buddhism to practice compassion for others. It’s something she’s needed for a long time.
“(I wonder) why my life has to be this way: long stretches of mundane nothingness interrupted by a succession of tortuous days,” she says.
This book has plenty of drama, including one stunning twist at the end, but Hungry Spirits is actually a funny, fast-paced book that reminded me of Denise Chavez’s Loving Pedro Infante.
My one complaint is that the book is stuffed with so many characters that I should have created a chart to keep up with everyone.
But López does a great job of showing the importance – and annoyance – of family in Latino life and, in a nice touch, she also mentions a few Hispanic authors.
A special nod should go to the book’s publisher, Grand Central Publishing, which has published several terrific novels by Latinas in the past few years – including Julia Amante’s Say You’ll Be Mine; Leila Cobo’s The Second Time We Met; and Gwendolyn Zepeda’s recently released Better With You Here.
Like Hungry Spirits, these are easy to read books that women will relate to and enjoy.
Note: This review appeared in my blog, The Hispanic Reader. http://hispanicreader.com
I purchased this book.
October 10, 2014
This is the third book from Lorraine Lopez that I've checked out of the library. This is the best of the three and published in 2011.
Cover blurb:
"For Marina Lucero, whose father transformed his life through meditation and whose mother gave hers to a Carmelite convent, spirituality should come easily. It doesn't. After a devastating relationship leaves her feeling lost and alone, she opens her home to a collection of wayward souls-- the abused woman next door and her alcoholic sister, her aimless nephew and his broken-hearted best friend. Her house now full but her heart still empty, Marina then turns to the wisdom of Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, even a Santeria priest who wants to cleanse her home."
What I liked about this novel was that the writer stayed in one point of view (POV) which is necessary when there is a large cast of characters-and what characters they were. Plenty of unlikable people, a couple of likable ones, and a protagonist I didn't like at first but grew to care about around the midpoint.
The writer enriches the scenes with a lot of detail-a little too much for me. There is also many passages of interior monologue, much which shows the protagonist's struggle with her life and is quite literary. For someone who is smart, the protag makes several dumb moves, which is realistic for a thirty year old. The story is funny, ironic, and the protag is full of wise cracks.
Some of the dialogue uses Spanish slang, which is relevant to the characters and understandable to this reader. Much of it is translated through other dialogue.
Cover blurb:
"For Marina Lucero, whose father transformed his life through meditation and whose mother gave hers to a Carmelite convent, spirituality should come easily. It doesn't. After a devastating relationship leaves her feeling lost and alone, she opens her home to a collection of wayward souls-- the abused woman next door and her alcoholic sister, her aimless nephew and his broken-hearted best friend. Her house now full but her heart still empty, Marina then turns to the wisdom of Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, even a Santeria priest who wants to cleanse her home."
What I liked about this novel was that the writer stayed in one point of view (POV) which is necessary when there is a large cast of characters-and what characters they were. Plenty of unlikable people, a couple of likable ones, and a protagonist I didn't like at first but grew to care about around the midpoint.
The writer enriches the scenes with a lot of detail-a little too much for me. There is also many passages of interior monologue, much which shows the protagonist's struggle with her life and is quite literary. For someone who is smart, the protag makes several dumb moves, which is realistic for a thirty year old. The story is funny, ironic, and the protag is full of wise cracks.
Some of the dialogue uses Spanish slang, which is relevant to the characters and understandable to this reader. Much of it is translated through other dialogue.
July 1, 2011
the protagonist in this story, marina lucero, needs a good talking to. she is annoyingly complacent and seems to live among an extraordinarily inept group of friends and family.
the plot takes place over a week, but it feels more like a lifetime of unbelievable twists and turns.
i just didn't like marina until she started taking control of her life, which is suppose is what this book is chronicling. but it is highly unlikely all the epiphanies would take place in one week!
i can only suspend so much disbelief.
the plot takes place over a week, but it feels more like a lifetime of unbelievable twists and turns.
i just didn't like marina until she started taking control of her life, which is suppose is what this book is chronicling. but it is highly unlikely all the epiphanies would take place in one week!
i can only suspend so much disbelief.
September 8, 2016
The fact that I speak Spanish enhanced my experience of reading The Realm of Hungry Spirits. It's fast paced through a strong first person narrative, which is street smart, colloquial and entertaining. The primary character is making an effort to transform her life while maintaining exhausting relationships with disfunctional characters. It mostly works. There is one strange storyline that remains unresolved which I found strange--so much so that I intend to track down the author to ask her what was up with that! :)
June 15, 2011
I thought this book was ok. I really liked the ending, and I became more and more enamored with the characters in the book the further I read. But this book suffered from something similar to what I thought Jody Gehrman's novel Tart suffered from--an obnoxious narrator. Both these books featured know-it-all narrators whose attitudes really annoyed me. And while there is some growth out of this know-it-all attitude, there's not enough.
September 8, 2011
Was ok. Title and cover implied a different read to me, but I was open to see what was inside. Had I a better handle on the Spanish language, I'd have appreciated so many (many, many) references made.
I did get a kick out of Marina's quest for "Spirit!" She was sincere and truly a beautiful soul, surrounded by a "Realm of Hungry Spirits." ;-)
The overall message: We are who we are and feed our souls in many different ways.
I did get a kick out of Marina's quest for "Spirit!" She was sincere and truly a beautiful soul, surrounded by a "Realm of Hungry Spirits." ;-)
The overall message: We are who we are and feed our souls in many different ways.
July 13, 2011
I liked the writing, the story, and the characters in this book. The only thing I didn't buy was that Marina was such a saint, and all the people turned out to be actually very good people, despite their faults. But I guess that is what it was all about - appreciating the good side of humanity. It was a good book, and I don't regret the time I spent reading it.
July 25, 2011
I liked this book! It started kind of slow but the characters were interesting enough that you wanted to continue reading just to see what was going to happen. What I liked best was the theme...... "people or peace". You arent going to have any peace if you are out there helping people. Something I think is so true!!
November 11, 2011
I loved this book! Nothing is simple in Marina's life. She is a giver, searching for serenity in the midst of her chaotic life - I loved the references to Buddha and spirituality. There is some spanish thrown in, but no real need for translation...a very quick read and totally light and enjoyable!
February 13, 2012
I loved this book! It was so real. The characters were very lively and diverse. And the main character was a combination of parts of me and my friends. I loved her at times and was annoyed by her at times. During the story she learned lessons and made mistakes and then did it all over again. But you could tell she was on the right path, for her.
January 19, 2012
“The most tormenting week of” Marina’s life. Actually, it is three weeks of tormented fun. Marina is trying to find her spirituality, just as she believes her parents have done, so she turns to the teachings of the Dalai Lama, but just about everyone in her life is trying her compassion.
April 6, 2016
this was a lively, fun read. not being totally familiar with a lot of the "lingo" at first I thought that this may not be a book for me, but as it turns out it was highly entertaining and a very nice story.
June 2, 2011
This book was so much better than the cover description. The language cracked me up. Marina would be a great friend to have.
Read
July 26, 2011Really Good book, but I was disappointed that the main character was never really able to tell her energy sucking family "No" and mean it....
July 31, 2011
Interesting characters - and entertaining - just not really what I thought it was going to be.
August 19, 2011
loved getting pulled into the chaos - light enjoyable read - not too demanding but still relatively intelligent
January 7, 2012
I related to the story of a woman who ends up caring for nearly everyone who crosses her path. Some language I wouldn't say in Spanish, but an interesting story and spiritual journey.
January 15, 2012
I really enjoyed this book and the author's sense of humor. The ending was a little too convenient and pat but overall true to life.
July 9, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Its a great summer read!
August 13, 2012
A wonderfully easy read that reminds one to go easy on the judgements of self and others, value family and friends, and have faith in something, even if it's only your own strength of character.
April 22, 2014
Lightwight reading but ok fun
January 4, 2017
A treat!
July 29, 2012
reading it in Norwegian
August 13, 2012
Needed a Spanish dictionary for phrases but all in all, it was a really good read.
October 4, 2012
No matter how hard I tried, just could not get into it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews