A Year in White

In the Afro-Cuban Lukumi religious tradition—more commonly known in the United States as Santería—entrants into the priesthood undergo an extraordinary fifty-three-week initiation period. During this time, these novices—called iyawo —endure a host of prohibitions, including most notably wearing exclusively white clothing. In  A Year in White , sociologist C. Lynn Carr, who underwent this initiation herself, opens a window on this remarkable year-long religious transformation.   In