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Like the titular Northanger Abbey, the Tilve ranch that Catalina has recently arrived at does not actually exist. However, it is based on the ranches, or estancias, that may be found throughout Argentina. Many are now destination tourist spots and some specialize in student housing. Here's a promo video for Estancia La Bamba De Areco, just north of Buenos Aires.
Given that most ranches are contemporary in their furnishings and offerings, why is Catalina so disappointed by Aldea Norteña? In the same way Catherine Morland's only knowledge of abbeys was through gothic fiction, Catalina Moreno gained her grandiose ideas from watching television, specifically the popular telenovela Pasión de Gavilanes ("Passion of the Hawks"), or "Hidden Passions." This 2003-2004 Columbian show spawned 188 episodes in its first season, numerous awards, and multiple remakes in other countries including Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, and the United States. Telemundo even commissioned a second season nearly two decades later, with 71 episodes released last year.
The underlying plot is a dramatic blend of passion and intrigue; per IMDB: "The Reyes brothers were three honest and good-natured men until the day a shocking, unforgettable tragedy sends them in search of revenge. Their plan takes an unexpected turn when they meet the three Elizondo sisters, the beautiful daughters of the powerful hacendado they blame for their misfortune." The Reyes' sister Libia was involved in a passionate affair with the Elizondo sisters' father. Upon his death in a riding accident, Libia is humiliated and dismissed by the surviving widow, and in despair takes her own life.
Unlike Catalina's usual TV fare, this one is rated TV-MA and contains definite content warnings for younger viewers (hence why our heroine's mother wisely restricted her daughter's intake of said show). Readers may note that the broad outline of a young girl put in peril by a sudden dismissal may have some applications for Catalina down the road. For now, though, it's still rose colored glasses as she eagerly plunges into whatever mysteries her own estancia journey holds.
To cap our bonus content today, here's the original Pasión de Gavilanes show. Also, next Monday's bonus post will be hosted at Austenesque Review. I'll be promoting both the ongoing Estancia Aldea Norteña novel as well as my published book Trifles Light as Air, which recently sold its second copy. Until then, chau.