Have you ever thought that it might be cool to be able to see ghosts? To get a peek into the afterlife? Rita Todacheene would vehemently disagree with you! She is a Navajo woman who has been able to see and hear ghosts since she was a child and it has only caused her problems. The ghosts want her to do things for them and they are not patient or understanding about it. Her grandmother and the local medicine man plead with Rita not to acknowledge these apparitions, not to let them get their hooks into her.
That's easier said than done. Rita is the latest in a line of photographers and there aren't many ways to earn a living with a camera. Rita is a forensic photographer, attending crime scenes. A dangerous place for someone with Rita's ability. At a confusing scene, an enraged ghost latches on and refuses to let go until her death is avenged. How can Rita solve the case when she is not a cop and really can't reveal her sources if she wants to be believed?
This is a fascinating look into the world of the Navajo and the profession of forensic photography (both things that Rita has in common with the author). The talking-to-ghosts aspect reminded me of The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu, where a Scots-Zimbabwean teenager, Ropa, has learned ghost talking from her grandmother. She relays information to the survivors for a price. Rita gets no such benefits from the spirits who follow her and hound her. She is driven into dangerous situations by the furious Erma, who refuses to accept her ghostly situation.
If you enjoy this book, you might also like Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, an urban fantasy set in a futuristic Navajo nation. If you are interested in the Navajo worldview and the supernatural, you might consider The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator's Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford.
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