What They Said About Luisa by Erika Rummel
Description What They Said About Luisa by Erika Rummel
“They say when you are close to death, the whole of your life passes before your eyes. It's an act of God giving you a last chance to repent of your sins.”
A marvelous new historical fiction novel from the author of two of the best books I have read in recent years, 'Loneliness of the Time Traveler,' and 'Evita and Me.'
'What They Said About Luisa,' is a masterfully told tale of a young woman who began life as a slave and grows up to make a unique mark on history.
Luisa Abrego was an African woman who, as a young woman, was enslaved in Seville, Spain.
Throughout the story, different characters give their perspective on Luisa's journey as she goes from being enslaved to a free woman after the death of her master.
Luisa is freed and given a large inheritance by her master's will, which his wife heavily disputes.
But, thankfully, the master's wife has no legal way to block Luisa's inheritance, and the girl goes free at the age of 15.
Luisa begins taking care of an elderly couple until she is proposed to by a young sailor.
The two travel to Mexico and America, but Luisa is soon put on trial for bigamy for the suspicion that she may have been married to another young man when she married her current husband.
As I said, this story is absolutely marvelous! I thought the method of giving Luisa's story from different perspectives of people that she had interacted with was absolutely genius!
I have never read such a unique take on a historical fiction novel before, but I expected nothing less from Erika Rummel, who I know is a great storyteller.
I wish I could give this more than five stars! It was a stellar read!
Praise For What They Said About Luisa by Erika Rummel
About Erika Rummel
Interview with Erika Rummel
Hi Erika, thanks so much for agreeing to this interview, Welcome to Celtic Lady Reviews!
Laura: I want to start off with the basics, (It’s a two part question) how long have you been writing? And second when did you realize this was what you wanted to do professionally?
Erika: While I was teaching at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Toronto, I published more than a dozen academic books and numerous articles on Renaissance history. After taking early retirement in 2008, I switched to novel writing. I always knew I wanted to write fiction. It just took me a long time to realize my dream, and now I’m enjoying every minute of my fiction-writing life. Luisa is my tenth novel!
Laura: I am sure that you have heard this question before; how do you come up with your ideas?
Erika: In the case of this novel, a NY reader emailed me and brought the story of the black freedwoman Luisa Abrego to my attention. Her marriage is the first documented interracial marriage in North America. “Wouldn’t that make a good historical novel?” he wrote. I agreed and started writing. The result: What They Said About Luisa. I dedicated the novel to my NY reader. It helped that I am a Renaissance historian and was able to do the necessary research about Luisa’s personal history and, more generally, the life of Blacks in Seville, as well as the life of settlers in Mexico, where Luisa ended up with her husband.
Laura: What is the story behind What They Said About Louisa?
Erika: Here is what we know from trial documents: Luisa, a Black woman from Seville, married a white man and emigrated with him to the mining town of Zacatecas. The Mexican Inquisition put her on trial in 1567, examining her earlier life and alleging that she was a bigamist. She was acquitted –and disappeared from the historical records. I made up the rest, a mixture of Wild West adventure (Zacatecas was the scene of a silver rush at the time), romance, and history.
Laura: What is your writing schedule like?
Erika: I get up at 6am and write until my brain gives out. I love the quiet time when everyone else is sleeping.
Laura: What's the craziest writing idea you've had?
Erika: I thought of writing about a shape-shifting spirit who travels through the centuries in “borrowed” bodies. At the time I considered it a crazy fantasy, but then I wrote it down and found a publisher for it: The Loneliness of the Time Traveller—a time-split novel, in which the heroine moves from 18th century London to present-day Los Angeles. And now that it’s in print, the idea doesn’t seem so crazy anymore.
Laura: what are you currently working on or do you have any ideas about what comes next?
Erika: I am currently writing a sequel to The Loneliness of the Time Traveller, in which my heroine moves back to 18th century London to feel once more the passion of her first love. She arrives at a time when London is being ravaged by a smallpox epidemic… Watch for The Return of the Time Traveller!
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Sept 10 Excerpt
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Sept 11 Review
Sept 12 Guest Review by Laura with Interview
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Sept 16 Guest Review by Nora & Excerpt
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Sept 25 Review
Sept 26 Review & Guest Post
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Sept 30 Review
Wendy
Oct 2 Review
Bookgirl
Thanks so much for hosting! Great interview and am glad Laura enjoyed "What They Said About Luisa' so much!
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