Fantasy, Selena y Pizza
con Zoraida Córdova & The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
#NuevasPaginasconLupita is an expanded edition of the mini get-to-know the book and author interview series on Instagram aimed to "spotlight" Latinx authors with books out in 2021. The goal is to connect readers to new and/or old favorite Hispanic/Latinx/e authors and their books!
How does it work?!
Here’s the deal, I came up with a set of casual/random/funny questions to ask each Latinx/e author I interview. For now the questions will all be the same but maybe in the future I’ll launch this into more specific questions to the author or maybe I’ll turn this series into a mini podcast or maybe……well, you get it! The possibilities are endless so make sure you hit the button below so you don’t miss a thing.
If we are new here don’t forget to check out the inaugural post with Elisbet Velasquez author of the young adult novel-in-verse When We Make It and our Arepas y Poems post with the wonderful poet & educator Gloria Muñoz author of a poetry collection titled Danzirly. Both are available in all bookstores!
Hey Heyyy Book Franz!
We are heading into week three of #NuevasPaginasconLupita and I am having so much fun. I hope you are too! Please feel free to share any feedback in ways we can improve this series and or Hispanic/Latine/Latinx author you might want to see featured.
Today’s special guest is someone who I have personally admired (via Twitter like a creep) for such a very long time. Zoraida Córdova is the author of over a dozen novels and short stories. She is one of the reasons I’d ever consider joining the writing community. Her advocacy and her ability to pave the way for Latinx/Latine stories in every shape and form is unmatched. I am so excited to be able to have her as a guest for Nuevas Paginas and to spotlight one of my top most anticipated reads of this year - The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.
So let’s get into it!
Tell me about your book without telling me about your book - share any literary inspirations behind your book! If there are none, the gap you wanted to fill in the literary canon with your book.
I come from a very long literary tradition. But I’ve always longed for more magical stories for the generations that came after MANGO STREET and the GARCIA GIRLS. The kids who grew up on fantasy and are now adults wanting to see themselves in this space.
What are two central themes in your book that you connect with the most?
Daddy issues and chaotic millennials.
If a book was home, where would your home be?
My imaginary paradise of Four Rivers, USA
If your book was a famous musician who would it be?
Selena or Natalia LaFourcade.
What comfort food could a reader pair with your book?
New York cheese pizza. Not that fancy personal pie stuff. The by the slice kind.
In what ways has access (or little to no access) to Hispanic/Latinx/e literature defined you as a writer?
I had limited access. The books were all tragic. Important but tragic. That’s why I gravitated toward fantasy. Now my goal is to make sure I fill that space for others who might feel the same and lift up future generations.
You can learn more about Zoraida Córdova and keep up with her work by visiting her at zoraidacordova.com and on Instagram + Twitter!
A huge thank you to Zoraida Córdova for taking the time to chat with me about The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina! Please make sure you purchase a copy of her book #SupportLatinxLit.
Synopsis for The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina:
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. 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. 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, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings. 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, the four 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 an enchanting novel about what we knowingly and unknowingly inherit from our ancestors, the ties that bind, and reclaiming your power.
Bio for Zoraida Córdova from her website:
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, and is the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old, as well as 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.
Friendly reminder that the best ways you can support Latinx/e authors and Latinx/e literature is by doing the following:
Leave a review for their books on any website that sells books
Request that your local library carry a copy
Purchase a copy of a friend, family member, your nemesis (hey! I’m sure they read too).
Shout about the book on any social media platform or to your friends and family!
Share this interview widely! Word of mouth does wonders for connecting readers to books.