Malinche by Laura Esquivel, author of Like Water for Chocolate, is historical fiction about the life of Malinche, the Native woman who became Hernan Cortes's interpreter during his conquest of Mexico. Today the word malinche is used pejoratively by Mexicans to describe someone who betrays their heritage.
In this slim novel, Esquivel re-imagines Malinche's life as a slave and places her inside her cultural context to help us understand the decisions she made. Accompanied by a codex, pre-Columbian style drawings, the book is part myth, part incantation. Lyrical and rich with imagery it brings ancient Mexico and its Gods alive.
If you are expecting something similar to Like Walter for Chocolate, you will be disappointed, nonetheless, Malinche is a magical novel that sheds light on a tragic part of Mexico's past.
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