The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

 

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

Zoraida Cordova

Publication date: September 7, 2021 by Atria Books

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3 👢👢👢

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. 

My thoughts: I listened to this via audio and I am unsure if that helped or hindered my ability to follow everything that happened. I think perhaps it would have been easier to follow the connections of the family members if I had physically read the book. Without listening though I never would have known the correct pronunciation of many of the names. 

This book unravels its story to the reader using a dual timeline. I truly loved the story of Orquídea's youth. The quest of her grandchildren to learn about the bargain that Orquídea made got a little bizarre. I also didn’t feel that the “gifts” Orquídea granted her grandchildren were truly explained to satisfaction. 

There were fantastical elements aplenty in this one. It was fun to read the various oddities that the author imagined for the family members to experience. 

This book was a good break from reality.