Book Thoughts: What They Said About Luisa (Erika Rummel)

An interesting way to tell a story

★★★★☆ – CALSPIE: 7.43

Title: What They Said About Luisa
Author: Erika Rummel
Genre: Fiction / Historical Fiction
First Published: 18 June 2024 by Dundurn Press
Edition: E-book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher

FROM THE BLURB: Luisa Abrego, a slave in Seville, is set free upon her master’s death and marries a white man. After boarding Luisa’s illegitimate child with the nuns of St. Clare, the couple sets out for Mexico. There Luisa is accused of bigamy and tried in the court of the Inquisition. This is, however, not Luisa’s own the narratives here are those of historical figures who encountered her, from nuns to silver miners to Inquisitors. These are European voices, the recorded voices of history, in whose accounts a fractured portrait of a fascinating and complex woman emerges, like glimpses of a figure moving past a mirror. Based on 16th 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 vivid, distinct voices, of how the Inquisition affected the Spanish colonies.

This was an interesting novel. It was inspired by a true story and follows a woman in the 1500s, but only through the eyes of the people around her. We never hear her own voice. I thought this was such a good concept and the execution was good, even if the narrative did not always grab me.

By using various people around her as the narrators, Luisa never quite develops into a fully formed person. We only see her as others see her and through her actions and words. This was definitely a novel way to tell someone’s story, but I am not quite sure it fully worked for me. Because of this, the reader is kept at a distance from her as well. Maybe that is where the strength of the novel lies, but I think I prefer being more in the head of characters.

My conclusion is that this is really a story told well and in an interesting way, but that I prefer a more intimate narrative, where I feel more connected to the main character. Still, the writing was good and I would recommend this as an interesting portrait of a person and a time period.

3.75 out of 5 stars

***

CALSPIE: 7.43

• Characters: 7
• Ambience: 7.5
• Language: 8
• Story: 7
• Pacing: 7.5
• Interest: 8
• Enjoyment: 7