Conquistadora- Brief Summary of First Half

Esmerealda Santiago’s historical novel Conquistadora unfolds the adventurous and heroic life of Ana (short for Gloriosa Ana Maria de los Angeles Larragoity Cubillas Nieves de Donostia) who is a zealous yet charming young woman form the mid 19^th century. The desire for a male heir made her family both dismissive and contemptuous towards her, so her childhood is deprived of both family comfort and social acceptance. That solitude then leads her to find comfort in the journals of her ambitious ancestors who glorified their names through conquest. Though her unloving home environment isolated her, she gains an incredible intellect and an agile and creative mind. The journals of her ancestors feed her ideas of wilderness, explorations, foreign conquests, and travels. As a girl swaddled by the expectations of her social class, she feels despair in the reality of her limitations. However, through wit and charm, she attaches herself to people who provide the possibility of courageous excursions and global travels. Young marriage and loving friendship lead her to travel the seas to Puerto Rico, where she will both tame her adventurous desires and begin new exploits. She remains undaunted while facing the conflicts of conquest, oppression, disease, and travel.