Nuestra senora de la noche

by Mayra Santos-Febres

Nuestra Señora de la Noche es la historia de una de las mujeres más sensuales, complejas y trágicas de Puerto Rico, quien logró transformarse en la mujer más poderosa, temida y respetada de la isla. Pobre y abandonada por su madre, la niña Isabel se vio obligada a vivir una vida servil y ardura, llena de trabajos y constates luchas. Pero ahora armada con una belleza despampanante y una parcela de tierra obsequiada por su turbio amor, el licenciado corso Fernando Fornarís, la niña se esfuma y aparece en su lugar Doña Isabel ""La Negra"" Luberza Oppenheimer: una mujer de negocios, implacable, ambiciosa y ardorosamente ambiciosa. Con su prosa sensual, llena de color y poseía, Mayra Santos-Febres nos propone una reflexión sobre la naturaleza de la rabia y el amor, la marginación y el éxito, y la constitución de las naciones modernas.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Latinx, Spanish Literature, Novels, Historical, Adult

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Mayra Santos-Febres is a Puerto Rican author, poet, novelist, professor of literature, essayist, and literary critic and author of children's books. Her work focuses on themes of diaspora identity, female sexuality, the erotic, gender fluidity, desire, and power.

Reviews

[Liz Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Lady of the Night, is the story of Isabel Luberza Oppenheimer, better known as Isabel, La Negra, an important figure in Puerto Rican folklore and mythology. In a raw, sensual, prose Mayra Santos-Febres tells us the story of Doña Isabel, a black woman who through her brothel became one of the most powerful, respected and feared women in her town. A feat made even more impressive by the fact that she came out of nothing, was abandoned as a little girl and had to work as a maid, seamstress, even a liquor bootlegger. Mayra Santos-Febres uses multiple voices to depict a 1940's Puerto Rican society that is fragmented by race, class and socio-economic status. She gives us an accurate reflection of the social composition of the times, the hypocritical morality of the upper classes and the struggle of the poor to overcome their circumstances. By the end of the book, the reader has a complete story, that encompasses the different point of views of different characters and different times.

In a sociological context, Our Lady of the Night is a case study of the collision that happens when the primal urges of the tropical Caribbean come in contact with the materialistic American way of life. In another context, to use a frame of reference with which I am all too familiar, it is a kick-ass novela love story with an atypical heroine, fiercer even than Rubí, a telenovela protagonist who also gives up and denies herself the love of a man for the ambition of power.

One of the voices in the narration of Our Lady of the Night, sounded at times, like a prayer or like a Plena, the genre of music that like the Mexican corrido tell the stories of occurences that touch the imaginations of the people in a political, religious, social tone. Incidentally, Plena also has its originis in the same part of Ponce where Isabel La Negra lived. I was fascinated by Isabel's story much like I was fascinated by Arturo Perez-Reverte's La Reina Del Sur, which also became a corrido by Los Tigres Del Norte. Both of these women are characters feared and admired who are able to move in male-dominated spheres, like prostitution and drug-trafficking.

Isabel Luberza's story is one that has captivated other writers like Rosario Ferré. In 1974, Ferré wrote a short story*about two women, Isabel Luberza and Isabel La Negra, one white and one black, one the wife and one the mistress. In this story like in Buñuel's That Obscure Object of Desire, two different women are part of the whole. Ferré's story is an exploration of the duality of woman and the juxtaposition of the whore and the lady, carnal love and divine love, and the bonding that occurs so that one eventually becomes the other.

Ultimately, what I realized in reading Our lady of the Night is that Isabel Luberza Oppenheimer's story is the story of Puerto Rico and its relationship as a colony, a commonwealth to the U.S. and I can't help but quote Mayra Santos-Febres in an interview on her blog:
"Además, tengo ganas de decirte una cosa terrible, decirte "en todas las historias de las naciones hay una puta fundadora". Pienso en Evita Perón, en las madres fundadoras de la nación norteamericana, la mayoría putas. Pienso en La Malinche , mujer vendida como cosa a Cortés. Me gusta pensar en la historia desde esa perspectiva, no desde la del "padre" legítimo de la patria,o desde la Madre sufrida que pare al pueblo legítimo y soberano; sino desde ese rincón oculto de la Puta escondida que puja a la nación bastarda."

I searched for an accurate translation of this quote and was unable to find one, so here's my best rendition:

Besides, I want to tell you a terrible thing, tell you " in all of the histories of nations there is a founding whore". I'm thinking about Evita Peron, about the founding mothers of the northamerican nation, the majority were whores. I'm thinking about la Malinche, woman that was sold like a thing to Cortes. I like to think of history from that perspective, not from that of the legitimate "father" of the country or from the suffering mother that births the legitimate and sovereign people; but from that occult corner of the hidden whore that pushes out a bastard nation.

[Ann Cardinal · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all Mayra Santos-Febres books, this is beautiful written. Lush language, detailed settings, three-dimensional characters. But like many other readers I found the jumps between time and father and sons confusing. And some of the chapter openings with religious-laced thoughts of the women were, while poetic, confusing and pulled me out of the tale. Ultimately, though, it is a wonderful portrait of Isabel "La Negra" Luberza and a glimpse into a time in Puerto Rican history not often explored.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una obra muy interesante y bien escrita. Santos-Febres da la historia de Isabel Luberza Oppenheimer, una famosa madama puertorriqueña de la vida real, pero al mismo tiempo recuenta la historia de un pueblo y una familia. El uso de múltiples perspectivas (incluyendo algunas desconectadas de la realidad), saltos cronológicos y generacionales, exploraciones de género y raza, todo sirve para darle una atmosfera épica a esta historia que la vuelve completamente cautivamente.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, so I thought this would be more about this poor girl that grows up to be a madam. It wasn't. It was mostly about an attorney that sired a child with a "lady of the night" and how his legitimate son crossed paths with her. I was a little disappointed with the story line but the writing was very good. I just wish there was more information about Isabel.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not stand the raving interludes of donña Cristina and doña montse. Mad stream of conscious ravings of one dimensional women that are kept as strangers to us except for their tenuous connections to the children and to Fernando. You could honestly skip those passages entirely and not miss anything. The book would be far superior witho it them, truly. Book is very disjointed, full of gaping holes and the hops in time are chaotic and haphazard. We don’t ever get clarity or even a whisper of why Isabel is forced to give up Roberto or who the godmother is/was.

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel la Negra, died when I was fourteen years old. She was one of Puerto Rico's most infamous character. She was powerful, she was very rich and she was a Madama like very few others. Isabel was black, single and an orphan. I remember her funeral, it was in all the news, but I never understood the turmoil. Her murder, went unsolved, her funeral was on every channel on every newspaper. Surprisingly, that is all I knew about Isabel la Negra. (Isabel the black.) "Good people" despised her-- "era una ramera" (she was a whore) was what I was told. "She dealt in drugs and that is why she was killed finally". As a budding feminist at the time, I had my doubts. Her murdered still remains unsolved and not much has been written about her.
Afterall-- (and I hate to have to say this) she was just an orphaned black woman who ran a brothel!
This book tells her life, from early childhood, her sufferings and the development of her empire. After reading this book I feel a responsibility to find out more about her, at least I understand the turmoil after her death and another aspect to her story.
Mayra Santos Febres is a talented poet, this book is an ode to Isabel.
What I found most fascinating about this book is how well Mayra captures and describes the class divide in Puerto Rico and the cultural shock of young puertorricans when they arrive in the US. The class divide may have changed-- but the cultural shock was the same when I went to school 25 years ago.
I think Mayra should write an update-- showing the classes in Puerto Rico. She is the best candidate to write the Great Puertorrican novel. She has the sensibility and the talent.
I must say, that I first wrote this review immediately after finishing the book. This book has been haunting me for the last two days so I had to come back add two more stars and edit my review. It stays on you. Like the smoke from a fire.

[NOYWRA (NEB) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mayra Santos-Febres is definitely an amazing writer, but our main qualm with this book is that we went into it expecting one type of story, and it fell short. The book brings up many interesting topics, like World War II, the Holocaust, colonization in Puerto Rico, and sex work, but never really tackles any of them head on. So much of the plot and the characters are glazed over. You don't learn enough about the characters to empathize with them, and the situations are not compelling enough to be interested by them. The book takes you through so many time jumps, half the time you don't even know what character you're reading about. There are also many one-off perspectives that are confusing and disrupts the narrative flow. We really didn't end up learning much of anything from this book. We really wanted to like it, but it just didn't hit the mark.

[Althea Ann]

DNF pg. 77.
No rating; didn't read enough to fairly give it one.

I picked this one up because the actual person that the book is about sounded like an interesting topic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_l...).

However, the style of the book, very heavy on poetic language and internal monologues, and, in what I read, light on actual historic detail, just didn't grab me. It may just have been my mood at the time, but I ended up leaving my copy of the book in Puerto Rico. Hopefully someone else will find and appreciate it!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encanto este libro!

[norvilaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabel Luberza Oppenheimer - the name that probably every Borinqueño knows and recognizes. I would call this woman a legend, a mystery and probably even a hero.

Abandoned by her mother Isabel had to fight her way in life: from one house to another, from one unhappy romance to another. Yet she was never the one to give up on her dreams of living a lavish lifestyle.

The book also depicts the stories of two brothers, who were strangely interlinked with Isabela herself. Due to the fact that the book follows three stories, it was a little bit hard to comprehend the storyline at the beginning, however after a few chapters I was devouring all the stories that was told.

In a way, Isabela reminds me of Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind. Both girls have to face the various challenges due to ongoing war, gets entangled in love webs and struggles financially. Yet neither of them see giving up as an option and just keep pushing through the days hoping that the better days are on the way.

As I have already mentioned, at first it was hard to remember all the vharacters due to an unisual storytelling, yet after a few chapters the problem dissolves itself. If you are about to visit Puerto Rico or neighboring island, I would definitely recommend choosing exploring it with Isabel🫶

[Rebecka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went from disliking this book, to liking it, to just wishing it would end. I almost got the impression the author was of the same opinion, the ending was so weirdly rushed. My biggest problems with this book: the artsy and confusing writing (both timeline and dialogue), the completely uninteresting chapters about the eternal Dona Montse that served no discernible purpose and the messy structure. First and last from this author!

[Saraiba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me hubiera gustado que la novela se centrara más en la vida de Isabel, pero además es que entre tanto salto en el tiempo y los capítulos insufribles en los que hablaba Montse... uf. Además no sé si es solo en mi edición o en todas, pero había tantas faltas de ortografía y de gramática… tildes que faltaban, porques y por qué confundidos, si no y sino, sobre todo y sobretodo… Consiguió empañarme la lectura.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the new classics of Latin American Literature!

I loved this book for its poetic prose and sensual scene making. The truth behind all political turmoil in Latin America and bedroom deal making. The cruel sexist reality has been spun to give power instead of demoralizing.

I highly recommend it!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was itself a prayer (and full of prayers).

You've gotta read this one basically straight through to keep track of the who/when, but I loved the intermixing of storytelling and the stories.

I chose this book from suggestions of alternatives to Junot Diaz post #metoo and it was an excellent suggestion.

[Edgar Gabriel Rios Salgado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una obra cargada de rebeldía, debilidades y retazos grandes de un empoderamiento. La obra de por sí sola es muy buena, obviamente la escritora tiene su pluma mágica. La historia de Isabel “La Negra” es pura magia y un referente en la cultura sur de la isla. Lo único que no me gustó fue la estructura de los capítulos.

[Namary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Que libro mas aburrido, incurrente y blasfemo.
Me tuve que forzar a seguir leyendo porque cada 3-4 paginas quería tirarlo.

No creo que lea nada por Santos-Febres no me gusto su estilo de escritura.

[Lectus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.

[Joaquin Calles Guzman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un libro un tanto cansino...muy por debajo de Sirena. No pude terminarlo

[Shanice · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[María Angelica Haza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó la historia; los saltos en el tiempo y la
Prosa bellisima.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing at times but well written.

[Dahlma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novel in English and am reserving my final rating until I do so in Spanish because I think that it loses a lot in translation. That said, I was impressed by the richness of detail and multi-faceted complexity of its themes. I was taken in by the world that the author creates and the characters who inhabit it. I love the many threads that she weaves to create this world--the role of religion in shaping women's lives, the building political unrest, the plotting by the ruling class, the many roles that characters are expected to play and how the they are unhinged by a reality that is so divergent from the one they thought they would live in, the sexual tension and conflict that charges the relationships between white men and black women. However, I feel that I missed a lot because of my lack of knowledge about catholic saints. I will have to do some research as I revisit the novel since the catholic elements that are crucial to the novel are lost on me to a great degree. I think the reader would need to have more familiarity with the saints and their significance before she could truly understand the use of these symbols within the novel. I am willing to go back and investigate them but I don't know how many readers would be willing to do the same.

[Dahlma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novel in English and am reserving my final rating until I do so in Spanish because I think that it loses a lot in translation. That said, I was impressed by the richness of detail and multi-faceted complexity of its themes. I was taken in by the world that the author creates and the characters who inhabit it. I love the many threads that she weaves to create this world--the role of religion in shaping women's lives, the building political unrest, the plotting by the ruling class, the many roles that characters are expected to play and how the they are unhinged by a reality that is so divergent from the one they thought they would live in, the sexual tension and conflict that charges the relationships between white men and black women. However, I feel that I missed a lot because of my lack of knowledge about catholic saints. I will have to do some research as I revisit the novel since the catholic elements that are crucial to the novel are lost on me to a great degree. I think the reader would need to have more familiarity with the saints and their significance before she could truly understand the use of these symbols within the novel. I am willing to go back and investigate them but I don't know how many readers would be willing to do the same.

[Kenny Winslow · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think i would’ve like this story more with less luis.

this book is like when your braid is unevenly sectioned and you have two chunkier sections and one thinner one. i loved isabel’s story. adored it. in her story, santos-febres offers a window into colonialism, racism, sexism, and the ways in which the world of the elite is not so far from those they deem lesser than. while these tangles trip everyone, the elite are always able to stand back up. the other? not so much.

i enjoyed (but wasn’t always well-versed enough to understand) the sections of prayer and the story of roberto’s upbringing. i wish we’d had as much of him as we had luis. luis carried the plot, but there was so much more to explore outside of quick glimpses through roberto.

i did not care about luis, especially after he decided to go to penn. regardless of my dislike for penn, the section was just boring. his love interest was boring. it’s kind of ironic how fitting it is that both in the book and in my reading, he was only interesting on the island, and even then whenever he came around i wanted to hear from the other two narratives far more than i wanted to hear from his.

i’m going to read more of her work, though, because the two chunkier braids were very satisfying :)

[Belen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally read this novel, in anticipation of hearing Ms. Santos-Febres speak. The novel, like its author, is intelligent, funny, sexy and surprising. Historical fiction, the story is set in the years before, during and after WWII in southern Puerto Rico. The main character is based on the life of Isabel Luberza Oppenheimer, a self-made woman who owned a brothel frequented by the cream of society. Surprisingly, the other main character is a wealthy young man who studies at a university in the US and enlists during the war. It has a good plot, great period and local detail, poetic but not belabored descriptions of the island and sharp characterizations throughout. Despite a predictably feminist point of view, her upper-class, white male characters are mostly portrayed with depth and sympathy. There are chapters that portray two women one black, one white, driven mad by their situations, which provide a sharp contrast to Isabel's clear mind and tenacity. A poet, Santos-Febres describes their thoughts in a chaotic and swirling writing style, which was challenging, perhaps because it felt so real. A literary and entertaining read.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intrigued by the title and theme we choose "Our Lady of the Night" for our Sept book club read. I so wanted to enjoy this novel by Mayra Santos-Febres however it fell short of my expectations. The inspiring story of Isabel "La Negra" Luberza was thwarted by Santos-Febres style of switching stories among her sons which confuses the reader. Although the story finally came together at the end, the evolution of how the characters intertwined was confusing.

[Onejcm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I got pretty far in this book p279 and I just could not bring myself to finish. I may come back to the book only because I really do not like to start a book and not finish. Honestly, the biggest issue for me was the writer’s style of story telling. I really could not keep the people straight or the time period. I think that if you can following the writers style this could offer a good read. Maybe I will try again with this one later on.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of all time. I have read it at least 5 times, and I keep coming back to it. It's not a quick read. The parts with Dona Montse are confusing. But it's such a beautiful book. I have only read it in the original Spanish.

[Karen Shanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this book, it was a pretty easy read and great for a trip that i recently took. the book didn't knock my socks off, but i enjoyed it.

[Grecia]

I love this book!! I learn about how was Ponce P.R., my town, a century ago. I was touch!