Son of a Spanish father and Shoshone Indian mother, de la Vega grows up on the Spanish mission in Monterrey and becomes steeped in the lore both of old California and okahue honor, justice, respect, dignity and courage, the positive values of the indigenous peoples. The narrator of Isabel Allende's novel fills us in on the birth and early life of Diego de la Vega, later in life known as El Zorro, or the Fox. It brings to life the legendary romantic hero known as Zorro. Lafitte frees Diego and Isabel, while Juliana, much to Diego’s dismay, stays behind as the pirate’s wife.The latest work of fiction by Isabel Allende takes us back into early 19th-century California and Spain.
Catherine’s mother reveals to Juliana that Catherine is already dead and that her spirit has chosen Juliana to marry Lafitte and act as stepmother to her infant son. Juliana and Isabel soon manage to buy their freedom-as well as that of a shipment of enslaved Africans-with the jewels they smuggled with them from Spain. There is an instant attraction between Juliana and Lafitte, but Juliana is upset to discover that Lafitte is already married to Catherine, a Creole woman. Lafitte takes Diego and the de Romeu sisters hostage and keeps them in his home on Grand Island while waiting for Alejandro de la Vega to ransom them. The ship encounters severe storms and is eventually captured by the pirate Jean Lafitte. They stow away on the ship that brought Diego to Spain five years before, whose captain is also a member of La Justicia. They travel part of the way with Diego’s Romani friends. When Juliana refuses, Moncada sexually assaults her, but Diego and Isabel intervene and restrain him.ĭiego, Juliana, Isabel, and Nuria flee north, hoping to find a ship bound for California from La Curaña. Before the sisters leave Barcelona, Moncada offers his protection to Juliana if she will become his mistress. Eulalia cannot save de Romeu, who is to be executed for treason, but she does offer to help his daughters Juliana and Isabel flee Spain. When Moncada fails in this task, Diego appeals to Eulalia de Callís, Moncada’s aunt, who knew his parents in the Americas. Juliana promises Moncada that she will marry him if he uses his influence to secure her father’s release. Diego manages to save Escalante with the help of La Justicia.
Under the new regime, Escalante and eventually de Romeu are arrested.
Meanwhile, the political climate shifts after Napoleon loses power and the French leave Spain. However, Juliana learns of Moncada’s deceit and refuses him.
Moncada eventually asks de Romeu for Juliana’s hand in marriage and even tries to tip the scales in his favor by paying a few Romani to “rob” Juliana, Isabel, and Nuria so he can pretend to save them.
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