As a fan of the Brooklyn Brujas series, I was so intrigued by Zoraida Córdova’s adult debut. When I got my hands on an ARC of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina I promptly rejoiced, and then August slipped away from me. But I finally got back on track and finished it! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
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 baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to 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 back.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The dual timeline in The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina unfolds an inter-generational story of dreams and family. There’s a whimsy, a sense of charm and intrigue that propels you through the story. It all has a reflective quality as the events are narrated to us. The ways that hindsight gives wisdom and issues warnings. A story about family, bargains, and siblings is sure to get my attention. In The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, Córdova slowly unfolds the branches of the family tree.
It’s at times a reflection on experiences from our childhood that lose their shine. All while also being a story about the wonder of stories that seem to hide more than they speak. Of magic that destroys and creates. I found myself being unable to stop reading because of the dual timeline construction. I’d want to continue the story in the present day, or the intrigue from the past. It’s a story which honors the ways the past impacts the present even while we’re living it.
Overall,
How one family’s home remedies are an other’s stories about magic. The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina also examines the ways that home stays with us. Family betrayals and loving memories we cannot seem to escape. The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is steeped in mystery, legacy, and inheritance. Of the pieces of people we find when they’re gone. Of the dreams and hopes that are passed down to us.
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