In the Afro-Cuban Lukumi religious tradition--more commonly known in the United States as Santeria--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 her intimate investigation of the "year in white," Carr draws on fifty-two in-depth...

In the Afro-Cuban Lukumi religious tradition--more commonly known in the United States as Santeria--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 her intimate investigation of the "year in white," Carr draws on fifty-two in-depth...