Fonseca
Booker Prize-winning author Penelope Fitzgerald (1916-2000) published her first novel at age 60. Before fame and a decent income, Penelope, her alcoholic husband, and three children eked out a living from their floundering literary journal and spotty teaching jobs. This story takes place in 1952 after they receive a letter from Irish relatives, two Delaney sisters, now living in northern Mexico. The letter invites Penelope to visit and possibly inherit a large bequest. Penelope travels from London to Fonseca, Mexico, with six-year-old son, Valpy, in tow. This fictionalized rendering of that 91-day trip is partly based on one short article by Penelope and emails exchanged between Kane and Penelope’s grown children.
When Penelope and Valpy arrive, nothing is as expected. The wealthy spinster Delaney sisters drink to excess and entertain lavishly. They have induced many far-away and local people to compete for the mysterious legacy. A variety of the invitees stay in the grand Delaney hacienda and enjoy meals prepared by the overworked Delaney cook. Valpy, the only youngster, engages happily with staff, local nuns, and a Fonseca scout troop.
This novel immerses readers in the town, the Delaney hacienda, and the high stakes competition. Kane lushly describes the fusion of Mexican and Irish foods (green chili scones), the Catholic ceremonies, clothes, weather, and the land. Throughout, Penelope is frustrated being so far from home, from her husband and young daughter, while also pregnant with a third child. Several of the other competitors treat her unkindly and question why she is there at all. The legacy, its amount, when it will be bestowed, and the criteria for earning it remain elusive. Author Notes help sort out the factual and invented details. Recommended as a well-researched literary novel that sheds light on a little-known venture of a beloved British author.
