The lives of 19th c. women in Spain were narrow and proscribed, especially for the upper classes. Women were expected to be pious, demure, to stay at home immersed in domestic affairs. Ana chaffed at the thought. Her ancestors were conquistadors who adventured across tumultuous seas to strange new lands. Ana wanted to act in the world, not retreat from it.

Teenaged best friends and lovers Ana and Elena hatched a plan. They would capture the hearts of the handsome Argoso twins, each marrying one of the brothers. This way, when the men tired of them and they were left alone, they would have each other for comfort and intimacy.

The twins were intertwined, inseparable, fulfilling each other’s every need. They were preparing for a boring life in Spain. When Ana learned that the family held a plantation in Puerto Rico, she saw her chance to fulfill her conquistador legacy. She wove dreams of wealth and success with the sugar plantation, entrapping the brothers into her fantasy. Five years, and they could return, set for life. Ana married one brother; when Elena came of age, she would marry the other.

The brothers, their parents, and Ana and Elena crossed the sea to the New World. Ana and her husband and his brother went inland to the plantation, leaving Elena with their parents in the city.

Ana was prepared for the depravations and hard work ahead. She steeled herself to being a slave owner. The men were unprepared for this harsh new life. Over the years, as Ana thrived, the twins succumbed to their worst natures, blaming Ana for bewitching them. Ana survives while the men folk succumb. Ana is willing to sacrifice anything and everything for the land that claims her heart and soul.

The novel brings to life the reality of life on the sugar plantations. The lives of the slaves, the cruel work, the heat and humidity are all described. A hurricane flattens the island, followed by cholera. Numerous slaves figure prominently in the story, their ranks filled with children sired by the Spanish men who owned them. These details give depth to this melodramatic family saga.

But now Ana didn’t want to examine her scruples. No, it was too late; a conscience at this stage in her life was too great a burden.
from Conquistadora by Esmeralda Santiago

Ana is an interesting character. She is not beautiful. She is small of stature. She knows what she wants and fights for it, first rebelling against her parents’ expectations and then insisting on playing an active role on the plantation. She ignores the bad actions of her husband and his brother, and the majordomo, because it suits her needs. She knows that their wealth depends on slavery, yet she is tender toward the slaves, ministering to the sick and protecting the weak. We may not like Ana, but must admit that she is extraordinary.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction, a strong female protagonist, and lots of drama will enjoy this one.

I received a book from Vintage Books. My review is fair and unbiased. ( )

I didn't know much about the history of Puerto Rico before reading this book. I learned so much about Latin American literature and history through this fictional novel. Ana is a determined woman who wants to inhabit her grandfather’s world, and her grit is unmatched by the men in the story. The author includes elements of Catholocism, the religion of the Spanish, and the beliefs of the slaves while conveying fascinating similarities. It was particularly interesting to read about the Caribbean's role as a hub of the slave trade. Ana, the heroine of the story, and the slaves are new to the island, and their parallel survival learning provides a captivating story. ( )

Audiobook read by the author
4****

Ana Cubillas is the only child of wealthy, aristocratic Spaniards. Raised to be a proper young lady, she chafes against the restrictions of her position in society. In her grandfather’s library she finds diaries of an ancestor who traveled to Puerto Rico with Ponce de Leon, and she is convinced her destiny lies on that remote island. When she meets the handsome twin brothers Ramon and Inocente Argoso, she finds a way to get there. Ana marries Ramon, and in 1844 they travel to the remote sugar plantation the brothers have inherited on the island.

This is a sweeping historic epic romance and adventure, focused on one strong woman who refused to give up her dreams. She endures unrelenting heat, disease, isolation and relatively primitive facilities. She finds that while expectations are that she be “the lady” of the hacienda, her husband and his brother are not suited to the hard work required to make Los Gemelos the success she envisioned, so she sets to work – pushing, cajoling, pleading and working to make her dream come true. She perseveres despite business setbacks, hurricanes and personal losses. She is not always a likeable person; she can be tactless, single-minded, demanding and stubborn. She can also be loving, kind and generous.

The novel focuses on the years from 1843 to 1865, though we get a little of Ana’s childhood to help define her character. The island’s history is a very important part of Ana’s story. The economic and political challenges of the time period – slavery, class structure, allegiance to a distant king, etc – are explored and examined with a critical eye.

I liked that Santiago took time to flesh out some of the minor characters, particularly several of the slaves or free blacks on the plantation or in nearby villages. I loved Sina Damita, Nena la Lavandera, Conciencia and Flora. My heart broke to hear the story of Jose (the carpenter), a man who endured with dignity and grace.

Santiago writes vividly about the island itself. I spent a couple of months in San Juan back in the mid-1960s. One weekend we drove across the mountains to Ponce – about 65 miles as the crow flies, but about 3 hours on the road (no interstate highway at that time) through the rainforest of the interior. Santiago’s descriptions are so colorful, that even if I had never been there, I could have easily pictured the setting.

At the story’s end, Ana is only 39 years old. And while I was completely satisfied with the book, I was sorry to see it end. I hope Santiago is planning a sequel.

There are few authors who can really do justice to the work when reading the audio version of their own books. Santiago was marvelous. Her passion for the story – for Ana and the other characters – comes through in her performance.
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This book chronicles the life of Ana, a sugar plantation owner in Puerto Rico during the 1800's and exposes slavery on the plantations with all its horrible inhumane abuses, nonetheless it is a great read. ( )

Overlong and not entirely satisfying on the question of slave ownership. Clunky at times, but still a pageturner. ( )