ralentina reviewed Las madres negras by Patricia Esteban Erlés
A dark dark dark fairy tale
4 stars
Santa Vela, arguably the book's protagonist, is an enchanted house: its owner, Larah Corven, tried to escape there the ghosts of those who died killed by the weapons sold by her husband. She had the architecture changes into a maze of corridors, stairs and dead alley to confuse them, in vain. Years later, the house has become a girl orphanage managed by cruel nuns.
Each chapter of the book tells the story of a different character: girls, nuns, residents, parents. Each story is dark and tragic, there is no escape from the curse that seems to link all those who cross path with Santa Vela. The chapters could work as individual stories, with sister Priscia (the sadistic, fanatic head nun) and Mida (a rebel orphan, daughter of a witch) being the two recurring characters, linked not only by their being in the house, but also their conversations with God (presumably …
Santa Vela, arguably the book's protagonist, is an enchanted house: its owner, Larah Corven, tried to escape there the ghosts of those who died killed by the weapons sold by her husband. She had the architecture changes into a maze of corridors, stairs and dead alley to confuse them, in vain. Years later, the house has become a girl orphanage managed by cruel nuns.
Each chapter of the book tells the story of a different character: girls, nuns, residents, parents. Each story is dark and tragic, there is no escape from the curse that seems to link all those who cross path with Santa Vela. The chapters could work as individual stories, with sister Priscia (the sadistic, fanatic head nun) and Mida (a rebel orphan, daughter of a witch) being the two recurring characters, linked not only by their being in the house, but also their conversations with God (presumably the same God, even though He tells them widely different things. It's a disturbing, self-obsessed God that predates on the girls and rejoices in their misery).
Once I learnt the author is Spanish I imagined it taking place in Spain, but really the settings are timeless and fairy-tale like: a world with witches, curses, plagues, travels on horseback and wagons. Despite its fairy-tale-like tone, it is one of the darkest books I have ever read.