3.5
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
ByPublisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, and Sarah Addison Allen, a family searches for the truth hidden in their past in this “expertly woven tale of family power, threaded with as much mystery as magic” (V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—not 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 into a ceiba tree, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings and powers. 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, her descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back.
Alternating between Orquídea’s past and her descendants’ present, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a “spellbinding tale, both timeless and fresh, that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Prepare to fall in love” (Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author).
Perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, and Sarah Addison Allen, a family searches for the truth hidden in their past in this “expertly woven tale of family power, threaded with as much mystery as magic” (V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—not 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 into a ceiba tree, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings and powers. 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, her descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back.
Alternating between Orquídea’s past and her descendants’ present, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a “spellbinding tale, both timeless and fresh, that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Prepare to fall in love” (Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author).
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities3836 Reviews
3.5

Jakie 💗
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“The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is beautifully written. Cordova’s magical realism and descriptive imagery had me intrigued from the start. The mystery of Orquídea’s past and the magic passed down to her family was fascinating. When I realized this was a story of combating generational trauma, I was tuned in.
Orquídea has a large family, which we keep track of with her family tree. But the abundance of characters quickly became confusing, and ultimately took away from the story.
Our main characters are Orquídea and grandkids Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly. Then we have their parents, uncles, cousins, etc. There are so MANY family members for seemingly no reason besides a big family reunion scene in the first couple chapters. Orquídea’s deceased husbands are only a footnote in the story too. I feel like too much time was spent on short descriptions/conversations with extended family, where we should have instead learned more about the main characters.
Orquídea kept so many secrets, and her refusal to speak about her family’s trauma greatly impacted her kids and grandkids long after she was gone. While this theme is familiar and relatable, the characters (other than Orquídea) were not explored beyond surface level characteristics and desires, and therefore were not people I could connect to. I understood Marimar’s curiosity and want to find her dad, but not why she gave up on that search before it started.
By the end of the story, I was thinking more about why certain things were included (why all the husbands?? Orquídea was interesting on her own WITHOUT the multiple marriages!) and what I wanted more of. Not the overall message of breaking generational curses. I wanted to see the characters get angry, get upset, work through these feelings and ultimately overcome the grief passed down through generations. We saw a hint of that with Orquídea and no one else.
All that being said, this was a fun read and I do recommend it for the the magical realism alone. It was done very well, and the mystical setting shone through. If you’re looking for a story about a family doing the work and breaking generational cycles though, you’ll likely be left unsatisfied.”

BROOKLYN CAVE
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Gaby Zaborsky
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Emily
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About Zoraida Córdova
Zoraida Córdova is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen novels and short stories, including The Fall of Rebel Angels, the Brooklyn Brujas series, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate, and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. In addition to writing novels, she serves on the board of We Need Diverse Books, is the coeditor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old, and is the cohost of the writing podcast Deadline City. She writes romance novels as Zoey Castile. Zoraida was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and calls New York City home. When she’s not working, she’s roaming the world in search of magical stories. For more information, visit her at ZoraidaCordova.com.
Other books by Zoraida Córdova
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