‘The Sandoval Sisters’ Secret of Old Blood’ is a finalist

April 28th, 2013

Peter Nolan

The Sandoval Sisters‘ Secret of Old Blood, by Sandra Ramos O’Briant, is a finalist in two categories with the International Latino Book Awards: Best Historical Fiction and Best First Book, Fiction.

“This story of love, mysticism and betrayal tests the ultimate boundaries of sisterhood. I loved this brave, lushly written tale of life in old Santa Fe.” –Jill Smolinski, author of Objects of My Affection

Arranged marriages

A runaway bride

Sisters

Adultery

Witchcraft

A woman doctor

Secrets

The Sandoval diaries

“I really liked this story. There were certain parts that were just so real when I read them that it was hard to not get involved with the Sandoval sisters.”*

Santa Fe was the first foreign capital captured by the U.S. An unbelievable influx of men occurred, but nary a word has been written about how that affected the New Mexican women. Until now. I grew up in Santa Fe and spent summers in Texas, but now make my home in Los Angeles with my husband, two sons, a dog, a cat and two quarrelsome parakeets.

Cast of Characters:

Oratoria Sandoval: “I first entered the Sandoval compound a barefoot slave . . . Estevan had traded for me—a bag of flour for a ragged peasant girl of five—after I had been captured by Apaches in Mexico. He brought me to this high mountain desert, to Santa Fé, the City of Holy Faith, as a wedding present for his bride. I became doña Teresa’s favorite, who was sixteen and far from her family in Mexico City. She taught me to read and to cook, and christened me Oratoria because of my skill with languages.

Alma Sandoval: “I’d been in the grip of ancient memories, reciting a list of family secrets that stretched back for centuries. I’d developed an eccentric reputation in Santa Fé, even for a Sandoval. I wasn’t sure if the memories were from an unknown part of my mind, or if they came from reading Sandoval diaries when I was much too young.”

Pilar Sandoval: “I’d read a few of the diaries . . . Bunch of whiners and schemers, if you ask me. I like creatures who are half this and half that, in myth’s and biblical stories, not in my flesh and blood relatives.”

Geraldo Quintana: “I’m no saint,” he said. “I loved my wives, but I was a young man, selfish and uninformed. Penetration, the young man’s dream, is not all there is to lovemaking.”

Consuelo Benavides: “You Sandovals think you can take everything. You’ll suffer. I’ll make you pay for what you’ve stolen from me!”

L.B.: “Mexes ain’t too poplah round here, but I guess you knows it already . . . you as white as B.B., Miz Alma. You could pass fa her daughter. Make the most of it, girl. Passin’ is good.”

The first chapter can be found here and here.

The sequel to The Sandoval Sisters’ will follow the next generation of this uniquely blended family into the 20th century. An excerpt from the first chapter is at the end of the book.

Follow Sandra on Twitter

or Facebook

More excerpts at: www.thesandovalsisters.com

or The Blood Mother Blog

*A few of the 5-star reviews from Amazon.

Source Article from http://www.examiner.com/article/the-sandoval-sisters-secret-of-old-blood-is-a-finalist?cid=rss