Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Title: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
Author: Zoraida Córdova
Genre: Fantasy / Magical Realism
Setting: Guyaquil, Ecuador & Four Rivers, Indiana
Month Read: May 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication: 2021
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 324
*Book of the Month Selection
TRIGGER WARNING-
Death / Grief / Sexual Content / Infidelity
"But here, in her family's home, she was river and salt and that same sea found her. She was the mouth of an ancient god who would swallow the world. She was an ocean of stories, memories, thousands of little moments that made up her whole being."
No Spoiler Summary (from Goodreads):
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—even for graduations, weddings, or baptism. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to come and collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers. Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked backed.
Alternating between Orquídea’s past and her descendants’ present, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is an enchanting novel about what we knowingly and unknowingly inherit from our ancestors, the ties that bind, and reclaiming your power.
(I tried to get a photo of Casita, but this was as close as I could get...)
Review:
I am so upset with myself that I got too busy last September and have let this book sit on a shelf for several months when I could have been loving it this entire time. I was unprepared for how much I would fall in love with the Montoya family, and how perfect this book was to start reading on a gorgeous spring day. I was instantly transported to their house in Four Rivers, and also transported right to Equador several decades ago. The writing was so beautiful it was hard not to see the beauty described in your head. This book is perfect for a movie or tv show.
A book filled with strong female characters is totally my jam, and I couldn't be more thrilled about how hardcore this cast was. I also loved the LGBTQIA+ rep, and how cool the family was about everything. I was expecting it to turn into a weird subplot, but everyone was just super accepting and supportive and it was really nice.
If you're a fan of magical realism, split narratives (and time periods), and a big multi-generational tale with just the right amount of mystery- this book is for YOU. I wish I could read this again for the first time, I truly do. What a fun, enjoyable story. There is a lot of sadness woven in, but never so much that it overtakes you.
Recommendation:
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley-Parker Chan
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
"When she’d met Orquidea Montoya, she saw a whisper of a girl who wanted to become a scream."