During the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father was executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumours surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security that his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.
But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.
When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark the doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?
Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will save her.
Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.
Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.
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Isabel Canas was a new discovery for me this year. She was suggested to me thanks to the book club I’m part of.
I had already heard and seen mentions of Isabel Canas, so I was very excited when they told us her book would be our pick of the month.
In The Hacienda, Beatriz marries the owner of an hacienda named Rodolfo. To her surprise, she doesn’t feel comfortable in the hacienda. Her discomfort grows when she realizes that she doesn’t just “feel” a bad vibe in the house—she starts seeing things that no one else can see. She becomes aware that the eyes of an entity are following her, as well as the people working on the property.
Beatriz must uncover what happened at the hacienda in order to find peace and truly call it home.
The Hacienda is set during the time of the insurgents, and the caste system is very present throughout the story. I really liked how this element had such a strong impact on the characters and the ending, especially as it’s reflected in Father Andrés.
Father Andrés is a character who steps in to help Beatriz cleanse the property and discover what happened there. He is the clearest example of the caste system, both in how he is described and in the internal conflict he carries.
The novel reminded me a lot of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, but with a Mexican, gothic, and historical twist. It’s worth noting that Canas’s novel is marketed that way. Both stories share the premise of a woman who suddenly marries a wealthy man. As soon as she arrives at the house, the staff starts comparing her to the previous wife, and a mystery looms over the place.
As I mentioned, the big difference is that Canas did an excellent job researching and incorporating historical details and customs of the era. I also loved the personality she gave to each of her characters.
In Beatriz’s case, I liked that in the early chapters, she shows excitement about her marriage to Rodolfo and her happiness at being able to call La Hacienda her own. However, that excitement fades as the dark side of the property begins to reveal itself.
The Hacienda became one of my favorite reads of the year, and I won’t hesitate to pick up another book by Isabel Canas because I want to keep reading her prose. This is a title you shouldn’t miss.
Have you read Isabel Canas yet?
