Isabel Cañas

In the May/June 2022 issue of WD, I featured The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas in our Breaking In column. A haunted house story at its core, Cañas' debut novel is set in the aftermath of the Mexican War for Independence and tackles issues of feminism, religion, folk magic, and familial secrets. It was my first horror novel for the column, and I was so excited that Cañas wanted to be a part of it—I knew that novel was something special.

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Everyone else knew it too. The Hacienda netted a nomination for a Bram Stoker Award, was a finalist in the Locus Awards, and received a nomination for the Goodreads Choice Awards, as well as positive write-ups in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, and The Washington Post. Her second novel, Vampires of El Norte (a vampire novel set during the Spanish-American War), was a finalist in the Locus Awards, a finalist for the Endeavour Awards, nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, received a Booklist starred review, and had positive reviews from NPR, Elle, USA Today, HuffPost, and more.

Now, Cañas is back with her third novel, The Possession of Alba Díaz. Set in 1765, this novel is about a demonic presence in a Mexican silver mine that preys upon a woman who has escaped with her family from a dangerous plague.

We started our conversation about the changes she's experienced since we first spoke in 2022.

What do you think the biggest change has been for you between your Breaking In column with The Hacienda and now?

I think there are two things. ... the personal bit is ... I've had two children, and I've moved from New York City to Seattle to be closer to my husband's family. So, I've had a change of community outside of the home and a change of community, very, very, up close and personal in the home. [Laughs] And so, my priorities as an artist have shifted really seismically. I used to be much more outward-facing in terms of getting anxious about how my words would be received. And now, I am too sleep deprived!