THE LOST PRINCESS OF ALICANTE

A debut literary novel focuses on a young woman’s unexpected journey.

Inés Zaragosa lives with her curmudgeonly Aunt Sofia in the American Southwest. Conditions are tough. While Inés pursues an advanced degree in history, Sofia works as a maid. Money is so scarce that the two do not even own a phone. When Sofia develops an illness that sends her to the hospital, Inés receives a visitor by the name of Don Román Velásquez. Don Román is from the Caribbean country of San Lázaro, where he holds an important government post. He brings Inés surprising news about her identity and origins. Her real name is María Magdalena Talavera de Alicante San Germán and she is an heir to the house of Alicante. She was not born in Venezuela, but rather was taken from San Lázaro during the country’s civil war. Don Román intends to escort her home, where she will be called Magdalena. Meanwhile, a young man named Alejandro is also returning to San Lázaro. He is the “jet-setting” son of Prince Agustín Talavera de Alicante. Alejandro is entering the country after nearly a decade with some ideas about how things should be run. Magdalena and Alejandro arrive in San Lázaro as the nation faces a threat from its neighbor, the Marxist-run island of San Cristóbal. The conflict looms in the background as the new princess learns more about life in her homeland and gets involved in such activities as volunteering at a health clinic. Padilla’s absorbing novel initially takes a rather leisurely pace. Some gripes about tourists (“Tourists, driven down from the ski slopes by the false spring, strolled the plaza. Inés had to dodge elbows across the brick pavement”), a scene involving Magdalena shopping for books, and a discussion about a young girl’s education make for sluggish moments. Yet intriguing questions remain concerning how Magdalena will handle her new life, especially when events take an unexpected turn. Just when it seems as if things have settled down for the appealing protagonist, there are surprises to come. What lies ahead for her and her country is anything but certain, creating a tense narrative that will keep readers engaged until the story’s finale.

A slow-paced but engrossing and unpredictable tale about a woman’s metamorphosis.