‘Wishes are not just words’: the first biography inspired by the life of Adriana Abascal

They are memoirs inspired by a character from international high society: Adriana Abascal, Miss Mexico 1988. Today a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. The writer Maria Estevez has focused on the exciting career of this woman “without borders and a bit witch”, in his opinion, to build a text in the first person, which navigates between truth and fantasy. A story always inspired by the reality lived by Adriana, the great protagonist. “She has been my friend for more than 20 years and she has been my source of inspiration,” confesses the author, who is presenting the book at the Madrid Book Fair on June 5, in booth 365.

We could say that there are two authors of this novel: the real one, Maria Estevez, journalist who sticks to the facts that he has been told using the first person, and hides it, Adriana Abascal, who has resorted to this auto-fiction format to recreate his dreams, passions, frustrations and personal dramas. The book begins when Julia Terán is about to settle in Paris. «She is going to turn 40, it is Halloween night, October 31, and she has decided to start from scratch in another place, far from her beloved Mexico. But first, there are many things to discover about this powerful and vulnerable woman at the same time. She was a girl born into a wealthy family in Veracruz (Mexico), with a severe and distant father and a warm and protective mother. The girl prefers the company of her caregiver, Timotea. She watches over her, understands her, takes care of her and immerses her in a world that will inevitably trap her throughout her life: her magic », explains Estévez.

At 17 years old

According to the author, the book is inspired by the real life of Adriana Abascal, whom she knows well from their friendship forged in the city of Los Angeles more than 20 years ago. «Julia, a very pretty woman, enters a beauty pageant. She is only 17 years old. This fact will allow her to continue to prosper in her social climb as the most distinguished of hers until her destiny puts her in her way. Fought, a man older than her with whom she falls madly in love and to whom she owes everything she is and what she becomes. Together they will enjoy the pleasures of life and a passion that is not accepted, to a great extent, because of their age difference. She will grow alongside her and learn to be better at everything she sets out to do. Until cancer ends that happiness. He dies leaving her everything material and some advice from her: to travel to Madrid to meet a businessman who yearns for her and who suits her in her new stage », says the writer.

“Months have passed… And the new individual who appears on the scene, nicknamed metal man, is an executive who, as I foresaw FoughtHe will leave everything for her. There is lust and desire in her gaze. But what looks like a secure marriage is a tomb for Julia’s passionate personality. Nothing is sincere or tangible or joyful in that relationship, except for her daughters, of whom Julia feels proud and protective. Finally, the protagonist will end up separating from him, her second husband, not without numerous disappointments, shocks and problems, such as when he takes the girls to London without their permission and she must travel to Europe by surprise to get them back. During the long time that her marriage is faltering, Julia meets Bastiana Frenchman with whom she goes from a notable hostility to a tremendous mutual attraction and in the long run, a wedding, the third,” that is the sentimental journey -in broad strokes- of the protagonist, says María Estévez.

«Time passes until Julia prepares to travel to France to settle there permanently, and although Julia finally left her hometown, Veracruz, she never left it completely. Her family events, such as her mother’s death and her father’s will, take her back to her roots again and again. The control of her past and her return to her city allow her to leave behind all her resignations and thus understand the title of this novel about second chances », comments Estévez.

“The novel fictionalized of the life of Adriana Abascal solves many doubts about his authentic and strong personality. The fact that she is a cosmopolitan woman, who has lived in numerous countries and speaks several languages, including Chinese, cannot be overstated in this biographical-inspired novel. Julia leaves Mexico to go live in the US and, although she will return to her country on numerous occasions, she chooses to settle in France. But in France, neither the luxury, nor the sophistication, nor the elegance nor the refinement with which she lives, manage to distance her from her roots and her origins »acknowledges the author.

“The book is also peppered with culinary references, such as the chaya cake sugarfree; of indigenous names tied to the land, such as pleasethat had a sin killer to drive away the husband; of good women, like Xotzil, which proposes forming a cooperative; of terms used by Timotea to explain to the girl Julia all kinds of phenomena related to nature, such as Iztlacatin; customs, such as marriages of convenience; of necessary characters such as aunts Tere and Ita, so different from those of her time… », adds María Estévez.

Tormented soul

“You couldn’t write about Julia Teran without taking into account her close connection with a universe that, because it is incomprehensible to many, is vital for her. Julia feels an enormous connection to magic, which she learned from Timothy. Palliate the pain with sea water; quell your emotions with healing plants; performs spiritual cleansing rituals to mend mistakes; he finds in the stones the consolation for his ills; she uses amulets that separate her from grief; she uses the seeds as benefactor necklaces. Julia feels like a witch, the mole on her back already announces it, and she reaffirms it, when she takes the plane that takes her to Paris »María Estévez discovers in this novel full of similarities with the life of her friend Adriana Abascal.

“A very relevant fact is that magic determines its enormous chemistry with Fought from the first moment. “You have something that bewitches me,” he tells her when he meets her. I would have liked to keep my distance, but I am deeply mesmerized by you. Are you a witch?” And Julia answered him as if both concepts were necessarily united. “Of course. I am a witch and from Veracruz” » says the writer.

The antithesis to this profound spirituality is represented by the Metal man, who does not conceive their practices, nor accept their purification methods, nor their beliefs in the Beyond. “She is a mother – she accuses her contemptuously during a trial – that she resorts to witchcraft and some rituals, projecting fear onto our daughters. If we looked in her bag, we would find amulets ”,” continues Estévez, recalling scenes from the book.

Characters

Julia Teran She is the daughter of a conservative and authoritarian doctor from Veracruz. She tall (she was called the giraffe derogatorily), beautiful, fanciful, impulsive, made of faith and also disappointments. Her life really begins when she meets Lucho, organizer of the Miss Mexico pageant, to which she appears after having conquered the crown as Miss Señorita de Veracruz. Her passionate and rebellious character will be shaped by that older and noble man, who will teach her to live, to be loved and to overcome obstacles with education, affection and perseverance.

Timothy, with her indigenous wisdom and her profound mastery of art, she will be not only Julia’s nanny until her adolescence, but also a second mother to her. Timotea teaches her how to summon spirits, dodge the devil, prepare clay and honey ointments, and have the dead watch over her. Julia will learn from her nanny that fear can only be overcome by facing it. Julia’s parents are the doctor Teran, that he is a man of firm convictions and traditions who establishes notable differences in the treatment of his son and his two daughters, Julia and her sister. His almost non-existent relationship with his daughter will mark Julia a lot, as will the final reconciliation. Elise, Julia’s mother is, however, kind, shy, understanding and encourages her daughter in her personal conquests. With her character withdrawn from her, however, she maintains the peace of the home and the self-esteem of her daughter.

Cesar and Lucia Teran They are Julia’s brothers. With him he will maintain a close and sincere relationship, first of admiration. With Lucía she will never understand each other, neither as a child nor as an adult. This will be governed by a hurtful envy that will make her ally with her ex-brother-in-law to cause her all possible damage when the will of her dead father arrives. Mo She is César’s wife, Julia’s best friend and confidante. Fought he is attractive, self-confident, upright, loving, gentlemanly, elegant, protective. He is the first husband of Julia and much more: patron and Pygmalion. He is also the man he will love the most in his entire life regardless of the age difference. He will love her without complexes and she will owe him everything, including her full happiness.

The Metal Man he is her second husband. Such is Julia’s contempt for him that she never even mentions her real name. For Julia, a grieving widow, this Spanish executive who leaves Madrid and her family for her to go to Los Angeles, will be a failed replacement, but above all, the big mistake of her life. Only the daughters she has with him will balance a cold, deceitful and self-serving relationship from day one. She discovers that he has businesses in which he deceives his own clients, commits frauds that have no criminal response, that he wants to take everything from her, including the immense inheritance that Lucho left him. Calculating and manipulative, he will even have a lover before his wife’s very eyes. Divorcing him will be the beginning of his liberation and also an ordeal.

Y bastian He is her third husband. A handsome, interesting, disbelieving and seductive Frenchman who will follow Julia from Los Angeles to France to marry her. They will be together nine wonderful years, and after the end of their marriage, they will remain friends. With Bastian, Julia recovers the illusion and the desire to live as a couple, to continue trusting men »this is how the writer describes all the protagonists of this biographical novel -of real inspiration- that she has just released. María Estévez confesses that «the vital adventures of Adriana Abascal» are her starting point.



‘Wishes are not just words’: the first biography inspired by the life of Adriana Abascal