Esquivel gives a fictional account of the woman called Malinche who is regarded by some as the traitor who helped Hernán Cortés destroy the Aztec empire in the 1500s. Malinche, called Malinalli in the book, was a native whose people had been conquered by Montezuma. She is raised by her loving grandmother, a blind mystic who taught Malinalli to believe in their old gods. Malinalli is sold into slavery and quickly learns the Spanish language. She eventually becomes the interpreter for and lover of Cortés, who she believes is the god Quetzalcoatl reincarnated to free her people from Montezuma's rule. Unfortunately she soon discovers that Cortés is just a man who has come to destroy the people and loot their riches of Montezuma's empire. This is not Esquivel's best novel. I much prefer Swift as Desire and Like Water for Chocolate. But I found the grandmother's spiritual teachings to be quite beautifully written.
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