
So I am delighted that we now have The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and that Cordova got to tell the story that she wanted to tell – because what a remarkable story it is. While Divine are the Stars was magnetic in its rich and fascinating idea, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina elevates the short story version, giving us a realised piece of storytelling with complicated characters without losing any sense of mystery, magic, and intrigue. I eventually figured out that The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a full-length novel of Cordova’s short story in Toil & Trouble. By chance, years later, I decided to pick up The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Cordova – because an adult fantasy about family and mystery and magic? I was immediately intrigued.īut, the more I read The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, I felt like this book was really familiar – and then I realised, I had read this story before, but as a short story. Though the anthology is filled with gems of witchy stories from a feminist lens, a story that stuck out to me was a story called Divine are the Stars, about a girl who returns home to visit her dying grandmother. I was provided an Audiobook Listening Copy by Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.Ī few years ago, I read a brilliant witch-themed anthology called Toil & Trouble edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador-to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back. 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. Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings.


Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers. 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.


They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers-even for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations.
