The Spanish Daughter deals with identity, ethnicity, and class. How does class intersect with inheritance, gender, and religion in the novel?

From Ramona, Angélica’s pet bird, to Lola, Juan’s snake, animals have a role in the narrative. How do they affect the novel’s themes and plot?

Chess is an old game and was a metaphor for a well-ordered society in the Middle Ages. Chess has meaning for the plantation as well. How does chess work as a metaphor for the intrigue inside and outside the hacienda?