The daughter of Doctor Moreau A novel

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Large print - 2022

"From the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman. Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers. The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor's labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shad...ows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities. All of them live in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Dr. Moreau's patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction. For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and, in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey." -- proivided by publisher.

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Subjects
Genres
Horror fiction
Historical fiction
Gothic fiction
Science fiction
Novels
Published
New York : Random House Large Print [2022]
Language
Undetermined
Main Author
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (author)
Other Authors
H. G. (Herbert George) Wells, 1866-1946 (-)
Edition
First large print edition
Physical Description
431 pages (large print) ; 24 cm
ISBN
9780593613559
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Carlota, the beautiful and brilliant daughter of Dr. Moreau, lives on an isolated estate on the Yucatán Peninsula in the 1870s, where her life revolves around her father's hybrid human-animal creatures. Montgomery, a troubled man running away from his past, was hired as Moreau's new overseer by his patron, the wealthy Lizalde, when Carlota was 14. Six years later, he is a vital part of their grotesque utopian "family." But outside the walls of the estate, instability and violence rule as colonial powers, the Mexicans of Spanish descent, and the Mayans are vying for control of the country, and an unexpected visit by the handsome son of Lizalde brings the turmoil of the outside world in. Told from Carlota and Montgomery's points of view and clearly inspired by H. G. Wells, this wholly new novel paints a vivid picture that is as alluring as it is unsettling, filled with action, romance, and monsters. However, it is Moreno-Garcia's ability to mesh the unease of the scientifically created beasts with the real-life terrors of a life on the margins and the horror of colonialism that elevates this story. Readers will fall into this tale immediately, enchanted.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this thorny riff on The Island of Doctor Moreau, bestseller Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic) interweaves several threads in 19th-century Mexico. Carlota, the naive daughter of a mad scientist bent on creating a race of hybrid animal-humans in remote Yaxaktun, strains against the boundaries of her life as she searches for love and connection beyond the world her father has engineered to contain her; Montgomery, a caretaker who self-medicates with alcohol in order to cope with a tragic past, pines for Carlota even as she explores her attraction to Eduardo, the spoiled aristocratic son of her father's benefactor; and the hybrid creatures created by the eponymous doctor struggle to maintain their autonomy and personhood as the forces surrounding them attempt to subjugate their wills for their own ends. Moreno-Garcia's worldbuilding chops are on display as she creates a distinct, vibrant backdrop to her audacious retelling. The prose, however, exhibits a cold remove that occasionally makes it difficult to remain invested in the action, and though the characters' arcs reach satisfying conclusions, wonky pacing makes the work of reaching them a challenge. The third act rights the ship, however, with an ending that will linger long in readers' minds. Fans of cerebral, atmospheric historical horror won't want to miss this. Agent: Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary. (July)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Perhaps not surprisingly, Moreno-Garcia's (Velvet Was the Night) latest novel is perfection. Retelling the story of Doctor Moreau through his daughter's eyes, this reworking of H.G. Wells's The Island of Doctor Moreau should satisfy readers who loved the original, as well as those who've never encountered it. Though she sets her tale in the Yucatán, the source book can be felt running beneath. Moreno-Garcia explores colonialism, class conflict, racism, and sexism in addition to the themes of morality from Wells's work. Gisela Chipe performs the novel, narrating each character realistically, regardless of age, gender, or country of origin. It is particularly impressive how well matched the characters' voices are between their childhood and adult versions. Chipe's use of accents is integral to placing the listener within the setting, a place where cultures meld and clash, and where interpersonal conflicts cannot be separated from widespread atrocities in the region. Chipe uses her narration to reveal the messy bonds of family and the confusion of becoming an adult who sees beyond their pain and privilege. VERDICT A classic tale is viewed through a different historical lens, making it more relevant and utterly gripping. Highly recommended for fans of Moreno-Garcia or Isabel Cañas.--Matthew Galloway

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A new spin on the H.G. Wells classic from the genre-hopping Mexican Canadian novelist. Young 19th-century woman Carlota Moreau has spent her whole life in Yaxaktun, a ranch in northern Yucatán, Mexico, and that's just fine with her: "I feel as if Yaxaktun is a beautiful dream and I wish to dream it forever," she tells a visitor to the isolated property. She lives there with her beloved father, Dr. Moreau, whom she considers "the sun in the sky, lighting her days." They're not the only ones on the ranch, however--it's populated by Dr. Moreau's "hybrids," part human and part animal, the results of the doctor's bizarre experiments. Looming over everything is Hernando Lizalde, Dr. Moreau's patron, who bankrolls the doctor's laboratory in hopes that he'll eventually create hybrids that are fit to work on his haciendas, but he seldom visits the ranch. On one of those visits, he brings along Montgomery, a self-loathing, hard-drinking English hunter whom Dr. Moreau hopes to hire as a mayordomo, an overseer of the property and its hybrids. Montgomery takes the job, and six years later things begin to fall apart: Hernando loses patience with the doctor's slow pace, and his son, Eduardo, visits the ranch and falls for Carlota; the results of their relationship threaten to destroy everything Dr. Moreau has worked for. Meanwhile, Carlota begins to question her adored father's experiments; the doctor acknowledges the creatures suffer greatly but insists that "pain must be endured, for without it there'd be no sweetness." Moreno-Garcia's novel starts a little slowly, but there's a reason for that--the setup is crucial to the book's action-packed second half, and the payoff is worth it. Moreno-Garcia's previous work has spanned genres--horror in Mexican Gothic (2020), noir in Velvet Was the Night (2021)--and in this volume, she deftly combines fantasy, adventure, and even romance; the result is hard to classify but definitely a lot of fun. This isn't the first book to riff on H.G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), but it's definitely one of the better ones. A fun literary remix. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Chapter 1 Carlota They'd be arriving that day, the two gentlemen, their boat gliding through the forest of mangroves. The jungle teemed with noises, birds crying out in sonorous discontent as if they could foretell the approach of intruders. In their huts, behind the main house, the hybrids were restless. Even the old donkey, eating its corn, seemed peevish. Carlota had spent a long time contemplating the ceiling of her room the previous night, and in the morning her belly ached like it always did when she was nervous. Ramona had to brew her a cup of bitter orange tea. Carlota didn't like when her nerves got the best of her, but Dr. Moreau seldom had visitors. Their isolation, her father said, did her good. When she was little she'd been ill, and it was important that she rest and remain calm. Besides, the hybrids made proper company impossible. When someone stopped at Yaxaktun it was either Francisco Ritter, her father's lawyer and correspondent, or Hernando Lizalde. Mr. Lizalde always came alone. Carlota was never introduced to him. Twice she'd seen him walking from afar, outside the house, with her father. He left quickly; he didn't stay the night in one of the guest rooms. And he didn't visit often, anyway. His presence was mostly felt in letters, which arrived every few months. Now Mr. Lizalde, who was a distant presence, a name spoken but never manifested, was visiting and not only visiting but he'd be bringing with him a new mayordomo. For nearly a year since Melquíades had departed, the reins of Yaxaktun had been solely in the hands of the doctor, an inadequate situation since he spent most of his time busy in the lab or deep in contemplation. Her father, however, didn't seem inclined to find a steward. "The doctor, he's too picky," Ramona said, brushing the tangles and knots out of Carlota's hair. "Mr. Lizalde, he sends him letters, and he says here's one gentleman, here's another, but your father always replies no, this one won't do, neither will the other. As if many people would come here." "Why wouldn't people want to come to Yaxaktun?" Carlota asked. "It's far from the capital. And you know what they say. All of them, they complain it's too close to rebel territory. They think it's the end of the world." "It's not that far," Carlota said, though she only understood the peninsula by the maps in books where distances were flattened and turned into black-­and-­white lines. "It's mighty far. Makes most people think twice when they're used to cobblestones and newspapers each morning." "Why did you come to work here, then?" "My family, they picked me a husband but he was bad. Lazy, did nothing all day, then he beat me at night. I didn't complain, not for a long time. Then one morning he hit me hard. Too hard. Or maybe as hard as every other time, but I wouldn't take it any longer. So I grabbed my things and I went away. I came to Yaxaktun because nobody can find you here," Ramona said with a shrug. "But it's not the same for others. Others want to be found." Ramona was not quite old; the lines fanning her eyes were shallow, and her hair was speckled with a few strands of gray. But she spoke in a measured tone, and she spoke of many things, and Carlota considered her very wise. "You think the new mayordomo won't like it here? You think he'll want to be found?" "Who can tell? But Mr. Lizalde's bringing him. It's Mr. Lizalde who's ordered it and he's right. Your father, he does things all day but he never does the things that need done either." Ramona put the brush down. "Stop fretting, child, you'll wrinkle the dress." The dress in question was decorated with a profusion of frills and pleats, and an enormous bow at the back instead of the neat muslin pinafore she normally wore around the house. Lupe and Cachito were giggling at the doorway, looking at Carlota, as she was primped like a horse before an exhibition. "You look nice," Ramona said. "It itches," Carlota complained. She thought she looked like a large cake. "Don't pull at it. And you two, go wash your faces and those hands," Ramona said, punctuating her words with one of her deadly stares. Lupe and Cachito moved aside to let Ramona by as she exited the room, grumbling about all the things she had to do that morning. Carlota sulked. Father said the dress was the latest fashion, but she was used to lighter frocks. It might have looked pretty in Mérida or Mexico City or some other place, but in Yaxaktun it was terribly fussy. Lupe and Cachito giggled again as they walked into the room and took a closer look at her buttons, touching the taffeta and silk until Carlota elbowed them away, and then they giggled again. "Stop it, both of you," she said. "Don't be mad, Loti, it's just you look funny, like one of your dollies," Cachito said. "But maybe the new mayordomo will bring candy and you'll like that." "I doubt he'll bring candy," Carlota said. "Melquíades brought us candy," Lupe said, and she sat on the old rocking horse, which was too small for any of them now, and rocked back and forth. "Brought you candy," Cachito complained. "He never brought me none." "That's because you bite," Lupe said. "I've never bitten a hand." And she hadn't, that was true. When Carlota's father had first brought Lupe into the house, Melquíades had made a fuss about it, said the doctor couldn't possibly leave Carlota alone with Lupe. What if she should scratch the child? But the doctor said not to worry, Lupe was good. Besides, Carlota had wanted a playmate so badly that even if Lupe had bitten and scratched, she wouldn't have said a word. But Melquíades never took to Cachito. Maybe because he was more rambunctious than Lupe. Maybe because he was male, and Melquíades could lull himself into a sense of safety with a girl. Maybe because Cachito had once bitten Melquíades's fingers. It was nothing deep, no more than a scratch, but Melquíades detested the boy, and he never let Cachito into the house. Then again, Melquíades hadn't liked any of them much. Ramona had worked for Dr. Moreau since Carlota was about five years old, and Melquíades had been at Yaxaktun before that. But Carlota could not recall him ever smiling at the children or treating them as anything other than a nuisance. When he brought candy back, it was because Ramona asked that he procure a treat for the little ones, not because Melquíades would have thought to do it of his own volition. When they were noisy, he might grumble and tell them to eat a sweet and go away, to be quiet and let him be. There was no affection for the children in his heart. Ramona loved them and Melquíades tolerated them. Now Melquíades was gone, and Cachito slipped in and out of the house, darting through the kitchen and the living room with its velvet sofas, even stabbing at the keys of the piano, ringing discordant notes from the instrument when the doctor was not looking. No, the children didn't miss Melquíades. He'd been fastidious and a bit conceited on account of the fact that he'd been a doctor in Mexico City, which he thought a great achievement. "I don't see why we need a new mayordomo," Lupe said. "Father can't manage it all on his own, and Mr. Lizalde wants it all in perfect order," she said, repeating what she'd been told. "What does the mister care how he manages it or not? He doesn't live here." Carlota peered into the mirror and fiddled with the pearl necklace, which, like the dress, had been newly imposed on her that morning to assure she looked prim and proper. Cachito was right: Carlota did resemble one of her dollies, pretty porcelain things set on a shelf with their pink lips and round eyes. But Carlota was not a doll, she was a girl, almost a lady, and it was a bit ridiculous that she must resemble a porcelain, painted creation. Ever the dutiful child, though, she turned from the mirror and looked at Lupe with a serious face. "Mr. Lizalde is our patron." Excerpted from The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.