Malinalli / Veronica Chapa.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico's history and mythology, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow and Zoraida Córdova's The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.

A real-life historical figure, the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina, and Malinalxochitl was the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés communicate with the native people of Mexico. When indigenous leaders observed her marching into their cities, they believed she was a goddess--blessed with the divine power to interpret the Spaniards' intentions for their land. Later, historians and pop culture would deem her a traitor--the "Indian" girl who helped sell Mexico's future to an invader.

In this riveting, fantastical retelling, Malinalli is all of those things and more, but at heart, she's a young girl, kidnapped into slavery by age twelve, and fighting to survive the devastation wrought by both the Spanish and Moctezuma's greed and cruelty. Blessed with magical powers, and supported by a close-knit circle of priestesses, Mali vows to help defend her people's legacy. In vivid, compelling prose, debut author Veronica Chapa spins an epic tale of magic, sisterhood, survival, and Mexican resilience. This is the first novel to reimagine and reinterpret Malinalli's story with the empathy, humanity, and awe she's always deserved.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

First-time novelist Chapa masterfully blends history and myth in a mesmerizing reimagining of Malinalli, also known as La Malinche, the enigmatic interpreter for conquistador Hernán Cortés. Though born into Nahua nobility, Malinalli ended up living a life irrevocably shaped by loss and vengeance following the deaths of her twin and her father. Her journey takes her from priestess to slave as the Spanish invade the Aztec empire, and ultimately to Cortés's translator, but her role is far from ordinary. Chapa imbues Malinalli with supernatural powers, including the ability to bring her embroidery to life, adding a fantastical dimension to the narrative. As Malinalli battles warring leaders and mystical forces, she is caught between loyalty and survival as she embarks on a quest for justice. Chapa delivers a spellbinding tale that reclaims Malinalli's story with imagination, depth, and compassion. This novel is a must-read for fans of magical realism and stories that challenge traditional views of history.

Kirkus Book Review

A pivotal figure in Mexican history is the subject of a novel that combines historical fiction and fantasy. The woman known as La Malinche lived five centuries ago but remains a controversial figure in Mexican culture. One of the Nahua people of the Gulf Coast, she was given as a slave to the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes and became his interpreter and adviser in his conquest of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma. La Malinche is a complex symbol, seen by some as a victim of colonialism, by others as a traitor to her people, and by yet others as a founding mother of today's Mexico. This novel, a fictionalized version of her life, won't settle any arguments. Indeed, it hardly reads as a historical novel--it's more of a fantasy adventure. Its narrator is called Malinalxochitl at birth, after a mythical warrior goddess whose very name is so fearsome that people hesitate to speak it, so she's nicknamed Malinalli. The book begins with her childhood, spent with her doting, aristocratic parents and her bold twin brother, Eagle. But that cozy idyll ends when her family is shattered by the political machinations of Moctezuma, in the far-off city of Tenochtitlan. Malinalli is sent to the Temple of the Eighteen Moons, a haven and school for girls and women, where she is educated mainly in magical pursuits--taught not just to embroider fine cloth but to make needlework that comes to life, birds and butterflies fluttering off the fabric. She learns other, more powerful skills as well, and she makes fast friends but nurses a vengeful hatred of Moctezuma, especially after he's responsible for another death of someone dear to her. The plot follows what we know of the real events of La Malinche's life only vaguely, and there's little sense of place or of everyday life in 16th-century Mexico. But the book's biggest flaw is the flatness of its characters, especially Malinalli herself, whose voice seems to remain that of an adolescent even as she's exposed to (and takes part in) brutal violence. That embroidery turns out to be the most lifelike thing in the book. No doubt there is a compelling novel to be written about La Malinche, but this isn't it. Unconvincing characters can't bring to life a historical novel that reads more like a fantasy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.