The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina

Just tonight I finished reading the novel “The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina,” by author Zoraida Cordova. The Montoya family are used to a life with no explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never runs low or why the matriarch Orquidea never leaves their home in Four Rivers even for baptisms, graduations or weddings. Orquida invites her family to collect their inheritance because she is dying and the family thinks all their questions will be answered. Or so they think. Orquidea is transformed into a tree and that is leaving them with even more questions than answers. Seven years later their inheritance turns into magical gifts though someone is after them killing their family left and right. They then have to take a journey to Ecuador to find out the truth Orquidea kept secret for so long. I honestly knew I would like it but I didn’t realize I would love the book. If you’re into magical realism, and different cultures this is a book you don’t want to miss.

Pros

The book has likeable characters. There was a ton of magic that I enjoyed. I especially enjoyed the river monster and the Living Star. The writing was very descriptive and I can picture everything happening as if it were a movie playing in my head. Orquidea’s backstory of how she is the way she is, is so original and something you don’t think read about ever.

Cons

There wasn’t much I disliked about the novel. There might have been a little too much swearing at times from Rey. Some of the sex scenes were a bit much as well. Sometimes the pacing between characters points of views move from one character to another so quickly that sometimes you’re thinking, “Oh we’re on this character?”

Overall

Overall I enjoyed the book very much. I recommend it if you’re a fan of magical realism mixed with another culture. With the sex scenes I mentioned, this is definitely not a young adult book so viewer discretion advised. All the pros outweigh the cons. I see myself reading more from Zoraida Cordova in the future and I can’t wait for what she comes out with next.