The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina (98)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


This book has lived in my mind since I wrote a short story called “Divine Are the Stars” for the anthology Toil & Trouble, which celebrated stories about women and witchcraft. Marimar and her grandmother have remained the same people—wayward, magical, and searching for a place to put down their roots, like so many families all around the world. When I had the opportunity to turn the magical valley of Four Rivers into a novel, it became the greatest challenge of my career thus far. For that, there are several people I want to thank.

Adrienne Rosado, who represented the project at the time. Thank you for being one of Marimar’s first champions.

Johanna Castillo, who took a chance on my strange little book about an incredible family that shares roots in our beloved city of Guayaquil, Ecuador.

My Ecuadorian tribe, forever and always. Parts of this book are set in La Atarazana, where the story of our family began. The same river. The same road that led us there. Here’s to my grandmother, Alejandrina Guerrero, who is the pillar of our family. Caco and Tío Robert for always supporting me and giving me a place to write. Liliana and Joe Vescuso. My beautiful cousins Adriana, Ginelle, Adrian, Alan, Denise, Steven, Gastóncito. Jeannet and Danilo Medina, Román Medina, Milton Medina, Jacqueline and Mark Stern.

My brother Danny Córdova, who might be younger than I am, but his music talent and dreams always keep inspiring me.

I thank my father, Francisco Javier Córdova, his wife Jenny Coronel Córdova. My brothers and sisters of the Córdova Legion: Paola, Angelita, Francisco, Anabel, Jamil, Joselyn, Enoch, Leonel.

Melanie Iglesias Pérez, for taking over this project and being incredibly patient as the book morphed into several different iterations. Thank you for understanding these characters and what I was trying to do at the core. You made each version clearer, better. To the rest of the wonderful Atria team at Simon & Schuster, especially Libby McGuire, Gena Lanzi, Maudee Genao, and Hercilia Mendizabal.

Erick Davila for the exquisite cover art that exceeded my wildest dreams.

My agent, Suzie Townsend, and the New Leaf Literary team. I know Orquídea is in the best hands.

My incredible friends have watched my often-chaotic process. Sarah Younger and Natalie Horbachevsky. Dhonielle Clayton, for always giving me the kick in the ass I deserve when I doubt myself, and Victoria Schwab for putting up with my writerly torment. To Natalie C. Parker for being one of the first people to ever read this book and give me a different perspective about my characters. To Miriam Weinberg for seeing who the true villain in the story was. To Alys Arden for witch stories and New Orleans.

Finally, to the pearl of the pacific, and the city that will always be home to myself and Orquídea Divina—Guayaquil de mis ensue?os.