NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, and Sarah Addison Allen, a family searches for the truth hidden in their past in this "expertly woven tale of family power, threaded with as much mystery as magic" (V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won't ever leave their home in Four Rivers--not 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 into a ceiba tree, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon, granting them unexpected …
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, and Sarah Addison Allen, a family searches for the truth hidden in their past in this "expertly woven tale of family power, threaded with as much mystery as magic" (V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won't ever leave their home in Four Rivers--not 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 into a ceiba tree, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings and powers. 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, her descendants travel to Ecuador--to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back.
Alternating between Orquídea's past and her descendants' present, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a "spellbinding tale, both timeless and fresh, that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. Prepare to fall in love" (Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author).
Review of 'The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This book... I don't know if I've ever seen a better representation of family, and the roles we all play. Maybe it's because I come from a female dominated family with a grandma full of stories and secrets, a family whose cousins feel like siblings, but this book resonated with me in a way I was not prepared for. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and affirming. I felt adrift, unsettled, and then finally rooted. I felt like I'd come home by that last page, like I'd put down roots of my own right along with Orquídea.
Whatever you think this book is, I promise you it isn't. It's gorgeous and surprising and so much better than you imagined.
Review of 'The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina' on 'Goodreads'
No rating
I picked this book up because I enjoyed Labyrinth Lost by this author. That was a YA book and this is her first adult novel. I'm a huge fan of stories with magical houses and gardens. I was hooked as soon as I read the description. Orquidea has had many husbands and children. Now she is gathering all of her descendants in time for her to die. She does this by writing letters that are magical delivered - sometimes by birds. (Life goals)A major theme in this story is the things that go unsaid in families. Orquidea's background is almost entirely unknown to her grandchildren. They ask questions but she says that she physically is unable to answer. The stranger things get in this gathering the more the family just looks away rather than forcing the truth out into the open. And things do get strange. Magical gifts are passed …
I picked this book up because I enjoyed Labyrinth Lost by this author. That was a YA book and this is her first adult novel. I'm a huge fan of stories with magical houses and gardens. I was hooked as soon as I read the description. Orquidea has had many husbands and children. Now she is gathering all of her descendants in time for her to die. She does this by writing letters that are magical delivered - sometimes by birds. (Life goals)A major theme in this story is the things that go unsaid in families. Orquidea's background is almost entirely unknown to her grandchildren. They ask questions but she says that she physically is unable to answer. The stranger things get in this gathering the more the family just looks away rather than forcing the truth out into the open. And things do get strange. Magical gifts are passed out. Ghosts visit. Then Orquidea transforms instead of dying. The family really doesn't know what to do with any of this so most of them go about their business.The story picks up seven years later when some of the family have used their gifts well and others haven't figured them out yet. They are forced back together by a dark force that is hunting them. Now finding out about Orquidea's past may be necessary to save them all. I like the absurdity and suspension of disbelief that is required to read magical realism. You suddenly have a flower growing out of your head? Cool. There is a rooster running around who is at least 50 years old, has died a few times (but got better), and occasionally lays eggs? Nothing to see here. I feel like magical realism always leaves me with a few more questions than answers. That's not a bad thing. If you like magical realism, you'll probably love this book.
