Book Review: Conquistadora

I took a chance on this book because it sounded like something in which I might be interested. I love Caribbean history and jump at the chance to read any fiction about that are or written by someone from that area. This was a double win for me! When it arrived on my doorstep, I could barely get it out of the box fast enough. For the first hundred pages, I was in awe and refused to sleep if it meant putting this book down. As I got to about page 200, I began to lose interest. Once 250 rolled around, I found myself falling asleep and by page 350 I had no motivation to pick it up. However, I did finish it and thought that the overall novel was so-so.

This epic follows the life of Ana from her years as an only child living in her parents' loveless house to her education at a convent where she first fell in love. Throughout her childhood, she was inspired by stories of her conquistador ancestor. When she marries, she convinces her husband to move to Puerto Rico and live out her dreams of being a conquistadora. Of course, things do not go as planned and what started off as an idyllic notion becomes a devastating reality. Despite the losses she must endure, she never loses sight of her dream to be a conquistadora.

As I previously stated, the first 150 pages were simply divine! Author Esmeralda Santiago gave fantastic insight into the upbringing of Ana and her emotional background. Her relationship with her best friend Elena is incredibly compelling as is her marriage to her husband. Yet, things get muddled about halfway through the novel as Santiago gives pages and pages of background information on extremely minor characters. While at times this could be helpful, it detracts from the overall plot and makes the novel sluggish. Additionally, she used certain plot contrivances over and over ago. Therefore, events that were supposed to be incredibly moving or shocking ended up being neither. By the end of the novel, I felt no connection to any of the characters. There was little or no character development yet some people in the novel would act completely out of character with no explanation or corresponding development.

Another issue that I had with the novel, was that many important lines or phrases were written in Spanish without any translation. I have read many books that contain phrases from other languages where the author typically gives the reader a hint as to what the phrase meant, for those who don't speak the language. Unfortunately, Santiago did not help the reader in this way. Instead, I looked up some of the words online which became tiresome and interrupted the flow of reading. When I stopped translating the sentences, I felt that I missed important dialogue. However, I think if you have a background in Spanish you won't face these difficulties.

Though I feel as if the cons outweigh the pros in regards to this book, I still think that there are some pros. I felt that the history that was presented was done so very well. Some historical fiction can get bogged down in the history or, on the flip side, not give enough information to the reader. Santiago did not have this problem. She introduced Puerto Rican history, as well as that of the Caribbean, without slowing down the story. Additionally, you didn't need to have any background in the subject matter in order to understand the novel. I also think that there is hope for this novel, though not in its current state. She has some great characters, a compelling plot, and a clear ability to write. Unfortunately, this novel dragged on for about 200 pages too long. If it were trimmed down and tightened up, I think it would be a fine novel!

-DLP