Orquídea Divina invites the multigenerational Montoya family to her home to celebrate her funeral. The catch is that Orquídea is still alive. The arrival of the magical invitations confuses many of her family members and dredges up painful memories for others. Everyone must attend the funeral in order to receive their inheritance and this strings-attached event is complicated on many levels. The land that Orquídea's home is situated on is infused with magic and the funeral proceedings are hampered by supernatural happenings.
And so begins a cross-continental journey that spans several lifetimes and incorporates mystical realism, carnival magic, folklore, superstition, and family devotion and drama. The family of Orquídea know very little about their matriarch and know not to ask questions. But her secrets haunt them and when harm comes to the family and homestead, Orquídea's grandchildren must weave together a path between Ecuador and the United States in order to find answers before time runs out.
Beautifully crafted, this left me wanting to know more about each of the characters and their back stories. I was inspired by how a woman with the sole purpose of starting over in mind was able to transcend physical and emotional boundaries to begin a new, better life for herself and her family.