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

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

If any book has magical realism, I WILL be reading. This reminded me of great Latin American classics like 100 Years of Solitude, but it also felt very modern and the elements of magical realism fit well within that context. I think this raised a really good question for immigrant families, especially for first generation kids: how well do we really know our families? There is so much that we don't talk about. But as we see in this book, by knowing about our elders' lives and hearing their stories, the more we get to know about ourselves. 

The writing was beautiful, loved the characters. I also really like multi-generational family stories, and I'm glad we got to touch on most family members. But at the end of the day this is about three central characters, and I liked that the author did that, makes it easier for me to engage with the story.
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