The Salt Eaters

Content Warning: This novel includes extensive discussions of mental health conditions, especially suicide. This guide refers to, but does not quote, some of the author’s uses of the n-word. The novel also contains references to assault on women, sexual assault, and blackface.

Velma is the central character of The Salt Eaters. She is both round and dynamic. Over the course of the novel, Velma is healed by Minnie during a mental health crisis. The rest of the characters in the story are directly or indirectly connected to Velma. Both Sophie and Minnie suspect Velma has psychic talents. Minnie, the healer, phrases this as “one of Oshun’s witches, I suspect” (43). Oshun is a goddess in Yoruba, and Minnie perceives Velma’s gifts as coming from this goddess. Sophie “had waited a long time for the godchild’s gift to unfold” and plans to train her after the healing (293). Velma, while being healed, considers moments of foresight, including information she had about a recent interview at the nuclear power plant. However, Velma struggles with integrating her psychic gifts into other aspects of her personality.

Velma’s mental health crisis culminates in an attempt to die by suicide and subsequently being put in the infirmary. This comes from carrying the stress of having a psychic gift and from stressors at work, participating in activist actions, and her family life.