Playing the bones

the long version

On Lacy Springs's list of One Hundred Things I Want Out of Life, the first slot is disconcertingly blank. Unfortunately, the second slot is filled - by her desire for a man who is wrong for her in every way. Lacy Springs has a job she cares about, a fiance she loves, and a wedding she should be planning. But one night she meets a blues singer called Black Jesus, and all her well-laid plans are cast aside. Nothing Lacy says or does or tells herself can keep her from falling into an overwhelming affair with Black Jesus, one that threatens not just her nuptials, but also her most basic ideas about who she is. Playing the Bones is Lacy's account of nights with Black Jesus and days trying to put her life back together. In her quest for balance, Lacy turns to some strange remedies: a celibacy program for her wedding night, healing rituals at the scenes of childhood traumas, going on the road with Black Jesus and his band, even a trip to Graceland. These actions take Lacy far beyond her familiar territory and help her begin to see that intimacy with someone else will only work once she's opened up to herself. As the story unfolds, Lacy sets out, undaunted - if not toward a happy ending, at least on a journey she knows is worth taking.