A review by ikramxlek
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

4.0

I feel very conflicted in my rating for this book. I picked it up knowing absolutely nothing about it and i was pretty sure i would put it back down after a few pages. But i really couldn't stop. The beginning was very strong and captivating. The writing in this is exquisite. The story is super strange but that's what every magical realism book is known for. If you're not into strange, confusing, farfetched stories, this really won't be for you. The middle of the book was slow and suspenseful. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't clear on where it was leading you. Near the end was an absolute fever dream. It was a compaction of weird events that you just kind of had to accept. Definetly my least favourite part of the book. The very end was satisfying and it gave a good closure for the characters. Overall, this is a book that feels like a very long metaphor that i didn't fully understand, but i still enjoyed the ride, i guess ? I think - unless i really didn't understand the story - that this is a form of commentary about generational trauma and how it can affect your children and their children after that when you don't confront your own issues before deciding to have a family. And I really enjoyed this theme of the story. As i said, the writing is chef's kiss and i will definetly pick up other books from Zoraida Córdova.
There are some quotes in this book that really hit hard :

"Your heart need not be metal to be strong"

"But where were they supposed to learn how to communicate having been raised in a house of secrets"

"We don't talk. None of us. Why don't we ever talk? Silence is a language of its own in this family. A curse of our own making"

"Some people change over time, water wearing stones smooth. Others require the violent clap of lighting that turns sand into glass"

And my absolute favorite:

"But that was the way of missing people. You wished for them, you longed for them, you forgot about them. Then you wished for them again"