A Poetic Trance That Transports The Reader
It would be too ordinary to simply call The Inheritance Of Orquídea Divina “magical.” This story is beyond that. It is mystical, a poetic trance that transports the reader into an enchanted world that is filled with a sense of belonging, a source of empowerment and belief in the impossible.
The story follows the Montoyas, an Ecuadorian family who lived in an ordinary town, but who were far from ordinary themselves. For years, they all lived their lives without questioning the mysterious occurrences that surrounded them.
Then came the request of their matriarch, Orquídea Divina, to attend her funeral. A funeral that brought the family more confusion than answers, but also provided them with an inheritance of unconventional gifts. This is the start of the Montoya’s journey; fueled by the powers of the earth and surrounded by the enchantment of the cosmos. They must learn to find strength within themselves and each other, in order to discover their hidden past, save their present and protect their inheritance; their future.
I got to talk to Zoraida Córdova, on behalf of LatinX In Publishing, to learn about her history and passions, what brought her to writing The Inheritance Of Orquídea Divina, her connection to her audience and her wish for our community.
““...Bad luck woven into the birthmarks that dotted her shoulders and chest like constellations. Bad luck that felt like the petty vengeance of a long-forgotten god.” ”
TG: I was immediately mesmerized by your lyrical writing but also your ability to subtly craft foreshadow so early in the storyline, in a way that makes the reader just get lost in the poetry of it all ..."Bad luck woven into the birthmarks that dotted her shoulders and chest like constellations. Bad luck that felt like the petty vengeance of a long-forgotten god." --- Where does your inspiration come from? Was there something in particular about this storyline that brought out something magical inside of you?
ZC: Thank you so much! My inspiration comes from everywhere. I’ve read fantasy my whole life and I think that the reason I write is because I’m filling in the gaps that I see. When was the last time that you read about a magical Ecuadorian family? I know I haven’t, but I’ve been waiting for my whole life. It’s not always that things don’t exist, because I believe that they’re out there. It’s about access and discoverability, and most of the worlds I’ve discovered have shaped me but have left me with my own need to create.
TG: This story brought Guayaquil to life! I was lost in your descriptions of the culture: food, scenery, customs. The airport scene made me laugh. It was so on-point. It was exactly what I experienced when visiting Ecuador. Did you draw from your own personal experiences to bring life to Guayaquil in the storyline?
ZC: I was born in Guayaquil, and I grew up in Queens, New York. Still, I went back most summers to see my father and other family. As an adult, I try to make it back, but life gets in the way. My last trip in 2018, I did go to the sites in this book. The chapel at the tip of the hill, the cemetery to visit my great grandmother. A lot of Orquídea is a composite of my grandma and mom, but also older stories from ancestors that I barely know from pictures, but we keep them alive through stories.
TG: To draw from the previous question, this story has been resonating with so many who are seeing themselves and their experiences through the Montoyas, how does that make you feel, and will you continue to connect with readers, who don't necessarily see themselves in mainstream stories, through your writing?
ZC: It’s the most incredible feeling, really. I mean, my debut novel, The Vicious Deep, had side characters that were part Ecuadorian. Because of previous rejections I thought that’s all I could sneak into a book, the way you sneak veggies into a little kid’s meal. But then I wrote the Brooklyn Brujas which is my love letter to the urban fantasy I read as a teen and follows three sister Brujas. I wrote romance novels with Latina protagonists. Middle grade with Ecuadorian families. So, yes, I got over my fear and I’ve been writing this ever since. Maybe readers are finding me now because Atria has done an incredible job at making me visible, but I’ve been here for almost a decade, and will continue to write the stories I love.
TG: Orquídea's story is one of many: infidelity, loneliness, abandonment, cruelty but also one of strength, resilience, courage, love. What is your advice to the women who read The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina?
ZC: I don’t like to give advice because I’m a disaster! But I can say that we are worth it. Whatever “it” is, we are worth it. We are worth dignity and love and safety.
TG: I have to ask, how did you come up with the character names? Is there a particular story behind them? I thought they were clever but also so interesting.
Reymundo – King of the world/earth.
Marimar – My favorite telenovela, OBVIOUSLY. But I explain it a bit more poetically in the book.
Rhiannon – My favorite Fleetwood Mac song, but it also means queen or goddess which echoes Rey.
Orquídea – In the short story that inspired the book, her name was Rosa Montoya. But as I got to know her backstory more, I felt like Orquídea fit more. A flower that can grow on trees or “air plants.” She is always looking for roots.
ZC: Most of the names are family names, like Bolívar and Gastón, but others have different origins.
TG: The family tree! I kept going back to look at it. How was that process and how did you keep up with all of the different characters? Did the tree come first, the story or did you build along the way? I find that to be so metaphorical to the blissful chaos that is being a part of a big family.
ZC: Oh man, that’s a challenge. I use the app Scapple (from the makes of Scrivener) and make a tree as I write to keep track of everyone. Sometimes characters just appear because they’re needed and so loud (like the twins).
TG: Being that this is a magical book of wishes, what is your wish for our LatinX community?
ZC: My wish is for us to learn our histories and preserve them. My wish if for us to have more than one story and more empathy. We have a lot of work to do.
Zoraida Córdova is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen novels and short stories, including 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.
Tiffany Gonzalez earned a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies and obtained her Masters in Communication and Media from Rutgers University – NB. She has worked in the Publishing industry for over 4 years. She currently works for Astra Publishing House as the Marketing and Publicity Coordinator for Astra House. She’s excited to start working with underrepresented stories and bringing them to the hands of all readers. You can follow her on Instagram @wandering_tiff_ or visit her website at wanderingtiff.com
