(Here and in the following glossary sections, difficult words and phrases, as well as allusions and historical references, are explained.)
Year of the Horse Chinese designation of a specific year within a 12-year cycle, used (like sun signs in Western astrological lore) to predict things about people born in those years. This pinpoints Esperanza’s birth year as 1954.
Lisandra A feminine variation of Alessandro (Alexander); Esperanza’s choice here is arguably “stronger” than the name her parents gave her, derived from a Greek name meaning literally “defender of men”; it is also suggestive of Alexander the Great (356–323 b.c.), a famous Macedonian king and military conquerer. Also, like Magdalena (which can be shortened to “Nenny”), but unlike Esperanza, Lisandra can be shortened to a nickname—Sandy or Sandra.
