What They Said About Luisa
by Erika Rummel
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon
Buy on BN.com
Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Jun 18 2024 | Archive Date Apr 30 2024
Talking about this book? Use #WhatTheySaidAboutLuisa #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
An enchanting tale of the complex and fascinating life of Luisa Abrego of Seville, an emancipated woman who forges a new future for herself in colonial Mexico and gets caught in the Spanish Inquisition.
Luisa Abrego, an enslaved woman in Seville, is impregnated by her master, then set free upon his death. With limited options for her future, Luisa agrees to marry a white man who wants to take her with him to Mexico, even though it means leaving her infant son behind in the care of nuns. The couple set off on a dangerous sea voyage and a perilous trek across unconquered territory, and when the settlers’ caravan is attacked by Indigenous warriors, Luisa is forced to kill a man in self-defence. Years later, still wracked with guilt and convinced she must atone for her sin, Luisa confesses to having made a promise of marriage to another man long before, in Spain. By the laws of the church this makes her a bigamist, a criminal who must be tried by the fearsome Inquisition.
Based on sixteenth-century trial records of the real Luisa, this novel is not just one woman’s life in fragments but a carefully researched imagining, told in the vivid, distinct voices of the Europeans who came into contact with her.
Luisa Abrego, an enslaved woman in Seville, is impregnated by her master, then set free upon his death. With limited options for her future, Luisa agrees to marry a white man who wants to take her with him to Mexico, even though it means leaving her infant son behind in the care of nuns. The couple set off on a dangerous sea voyage and a perilous trek across unconquered territory, and when the settlers’ caravan is attacked by Indigenous warriors, Luisa is forced to kill a man in self-defence. Years later, still wracked with guilt and convinced she must atone for her sin, Luisa confesses to having made a promise of marriage to another man long before, in Spain. By the laws of the church this makes her a bigamist, a criminal who must be tried by the fearsome Inquisition.
Based on sixteenth-century trial records of the real Luisa, this novel is not just one woman’s life in fragments but a carefully researched imagining, told in the vivid, distinct voices of the Europeans who came into contact with her.
Advance Praise
"A deep dive into 16th century Spain and Mexico, during the dangerous times of the Spanish Inquisition, superbly crafted by an experienced historical novelist. A must read." — PAM ROYL, author of The Last Secret
"Rummel’s whole novel is marvellous, full of wisdom, learning, and insight." — JONATHAN LOCKE HART, historian, literary scholar, and poet
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781459752771 |
PRICE | $19.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 312 |
Available on NetGalley
NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)
Download (PDF)
Readers who liked this book also liked:
The Fallen Fruit
Shawntelle Madison
General Fiction (Adult), Multicultural Interest, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Shawntelle Madison
General Fiction (Adult), Multicultural Interest, Sci Fi & Fantasy
The Volcano Daughters
Gina María Balibrera
General Fiction (Adult), Multicultural Interest, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Gina María Balibrera
General Fiction (Adult), Multicultural Interest, Sci Fi & Fantasy