Conquistadora by Esmeralda Santiago, is historical fiction about 19th century Puerto Rico, during the days of the sugar cane plantations. I was really excited to read this novel, as I have loved all of Santiago’s other books.

This is the story of Ana, who left Spain and travelled to Puerto Rico with two brothers to take over a sugar cane plantation during the mid-1800’s. We follow Ana through her adventure to the new world, falling in love, being the patrona of a plantation, and trying to come to terms with owning the slaves who work for her. This a very well researched, epic novel.

However, it was hard to relate to, or really care about, any of the characters, so I found it less enjoyable than I had hoped. I still think Santiago is a wonderful writer, but I was a little disappointed by this novel.