An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexicoâs history and mythology, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garciaâs Gods of Jade and Shadow and Zoraida CĂłrdovaâs The Inheritance of OrquĂdea Divina.
A real-life historical figure, the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, DoĂąa Marina, and Malinalxochitl was the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador HernĂĄn CortĂŠs communicate with the native people of Mexico. When indigenous leaders observed her marching into their cities, they believed she was a goddessâblessed with the divine power to interpret the Spaniardsâ intentions for their land. Later, historians and pop culture would deem her a traitorâthe âIndianâ girl who helped sell Mexicoâs future to an invader.
In this riveting, fantastical retelling, Malinalli is all of those things and more, but at heart, sheâs a young girl, kidnapped into slavery by age twelve, and fighting to survive the devastation wrought by both the Spanish and Moctezumaâs greed and cruelty. Blessed with magical powers, and supported by a close-knit circle of priestesses, Mali vows to help defend her peopleâs legacy. In vivid, compelling prose, debut author Veronica Chapa spins an epic tale of magic, sisterhood, survival, and Mexican resilience. This is the first novel to reimagine and reinterpret Malinalliâs story with the empathy, humanity, and awe sheâs always deserved.