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3.5
Malinalli
ByPublisher Description
An epic, magical tale, set against the backdrop of the final days of the Aztec Empire and reimagining the life of Malinalxochitl-otherwise known as La Malinche-a Nahua warrior priestess-in-training caught between two vicious men, both of whom have wronged her and her people.
Five hundred years ago, Spanish conquistadors destroyed the wondrous Mexica (known as "Aztec") city of Tenochtitlan, thus beginning the history of modern-day Mexico. Hernando Cortés and Moctezuma were at the helms of power, but today many people blame a young Indigenous Nahua woman for the cataclysm. Known by many names-Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina and Malinalxochitl, she was only eighteen when she was awarded to Cortés as a war prize. Cortés saw the value in her command of Indigenous languages, and though her exact role has been lost to history, she has long been seen as a woman who betrayed her culture. Debut author Veronica Chapa reinterprets her epic story with great power and empathy.
The firstborn in a set of fraternal twins, Mali spends her early years eager to take her rightful place as a student in Tenochtitlan's House of Magical Studies. Then tragedy strikes and she leaves home to study elsewhere among powerful priestesses. All the while, she hungers for revenge against Moctezuma, whom she believes responsible for destroying her family. Turmoil lands her under Cortés's control, working as his interpreter. She takes pride in the role-until she discovers his quest to conquer both his "new world" and her spirit. Far from home and with nothing and no one to fall back on, she dedicates herself to brokering peace between Cortes and those he meets en route to Tenochtitlan, where her powers fully emerge and her loyalties will be tested, with fateful consequences.
Five hundred years ago, Spanish conquistadors destroyed the wondrous Mexica (known as "Aztec") city of Tenochtitlan, thus beginning the history of modern-day Mexico. Hernando Cortés and Moctezuma were at the helms of power, but today many people blame a young Indigenous Nahua woman for the cataclysm. Known by many names-Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina and Malinalxochitl, she was only eighteen when she was awarded to Cortés as a war prize. Cortés saw the value in her command of Indigenous languages, and though her exact role has been lost to history, she has long been seen as a woman who betrayed her culture. Debut author Veronica Chapa reinterprets her epic story with great power and empathy.
The firstborn in a set of fraternal twins, Mali spends her early years eager to take her rightful place as a student in Tenochtitlan's House of Magical Studies. Then tragedy strikes and she leaves home to study elsewhere among powerful priestesses. All the while, she hungers for revenge against Moctezuma, whom she believes responsible for destroying her family. Turmoil lands her under Cortés's control, working as his interpreter. She takes pride in the role-until she discovers his quest to conquer both his "new world" and her spirit. Far from home and with nothing and no one to fall back on, she dedicates herself to brokering peace between Cortes and those he meets en route to Tenochtitlan, where her powers fully emerge and her loyalties will be tested, with fateful consequences.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesMalinalli Reviews
3.5
“I first became acquainted with the story of La Malinche back in my undergrad years when I was learning about the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Hers is one that limited by the lack of records from that time as well as the fact that history is mainly accounted for by the conquerors.
I enjoyed this fictional retelling of La Malinche, the fictionalized account of her life, with the magical and spiritual aspects of the lives of native people during this time. I feel like she is a remarkable woman who played a pivotal role in how Mexico came to be and that people should learn about her in history. Also known as the damned or the traitor for her role in the conquest I liked that this story gave her back some dignity that she’s often robbed of in history. While yes she played a vital role in Spains conquest of Mexico, I liked how this fictional backstory this book provides her with an account of her motivations and even the regret I’m sure she had to face in the aftermath. She’s a great example of how knowledge is power, especially if you are a woman in a patriarchal society.
I leave you with this quote from the book that felt very timely “I had learned that it was good to speak many tongues and understand the rhythms of words. To raise your voice, to be a knower of things.””
“The writing in this book felt so passive, it felt like I was reading a recap rather than a book. Overall, just really struggled to get fully immersed in the book”
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