A review by serendipitysbooks
The Inhabited Woman by Gioconda Belli

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 My pick for Nicaragua was The Inhabited Woman. It centres on Lavinia, an architect from an upper class background, who rejects her class privilege and slowly but surely becomes involved in the National Liberation Movement. In her professional role she designs a palatial mansion for a military general, a role which leads to her inclusion in a key guerilla operation. I thought this book did a great job highlighting the reality of involvement in guerilla movements- the risks, the emotional toll, the impact on relationships with friends and family, the inevitable loss of people you are close to. It also takes you inside a major operation, so you really experience the passion that drives the guerillas, the stress and tension of such an operation, then the chaos when things do not go according to plan. The story has a strong vein of magical realism running through in the form of Itza, a fifteenth century resister to the Conquistadors whose spirit now resides in an orange tree in Lavinia’s garden. The parallels between their stories are clear and Lavinia is strengthened by Itza’s spirit. I also loved that this had a strong feminist vein. The sexist attitudes of male guerilla leaders were highlighted and both Lavinia and Itza were strong women who rebelled against traditional roles permitted to women. I found this to be well-written and engaging; a story of independent women and the fight against injustice, one with plenty of action mixed with a little romance, that linked the present with the past, and had the added bonus of being strongly rooted in fact. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings