The Spanish Daughter

by Lorena Hughes Narrated by Frankie Corzo

Overview

Set against the lush backdrop of early twentieth century Ecuador and inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao, this captivating novel from the award-winning author of The Sisters of Alameda
Street tells the story of a resourceful young chocolatier who must impersonate a man in order to survive ...
As a child in Spain, Puri always knew her passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. But it's not until his death that she learns of something else she's inherited-a cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, a town nicknamed “París Chiquito.”
Eager to claim her birthright and filled with hope for a new life after the devastation of World War I, she and her husband Cristóbal set out across the Atlantic Ocean. But it soon becomes clear someone is angered by Puri's claim to the estate ...
When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills Cristóbal instead, Puri dons her husband's clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she searches for the truth of her father's legacy in Ecuador. Though
freed from the rules that women are expected to follow, Puri confronts other challenges at the estate-newfound siblings, hidden affairs, and her father's dark secrets. Then there are the dangers awakened by her attraction to an enigmatic
man as she tries to learn the identity of an enemy who is still at large, threatening the future she is determined to claim ...

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for The Spanish Daughter

“A lush Ecuadoran cacao plantation is the setting for this imaginative historical drama filled with sibling rivalry and betrayals. Threaded throughout this dramatic family saga are descriptions of cocoa-making that will leave your mouth watering for chocolate.”
—The Washington Post

“A sweepingly elegant historical novel.”
–Ms. Magazine

“Hughes portrays a small cast of characters while providing whodunit suspense and lots of background information on cacao plantations and insights into the way social classes are embodied in the production of chocolate. With an equal mix of historical fiction, dramatic family conflict, and mystery, this tale should please fans of Christina Baker Kline, Lisa Wingate, and Kate Quinn. Beginning with a map and ending with a reader’s group guide, Hughes' tale of secrets, treachery, and chocolate will be appreciated by fiction readers looking for an extra level of engagement.”
—Booklist

“Passionate and suspenseful, The Spanish Daughter is a satisfying historical mystery set in a lush tropical land.”
—Foreword Reviews STARRED REVIEW
 
“An engrossing mystery/romance set in early 20th-century Ecuador and Spain… Fans of historicals will appreciate the descriptions of dress, local foods and customs, social stratification, and the cacao industry, a source of an economic boom and bust in early 20th-century Ecuador… As addictive as chocolate, this ends on a modern and satisfying note.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A lushly written story of bittersweet family secrets and betrayals that ultimately celebrates the healing power of hope, resilience, love—and chocolate!”  
—Andrea Penrose, author of Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens
 
“A lyrical and nuanced study of family and belonging. Readers will fall in love with The Spanish Daughter’s unique setting amidst the cacao plantations of Ecuador in 1920, its lush and vivid prose, and compelling and audacious heroine. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.” 
—Anna Lee Huber, USA Today bestselling author of Murder Most Fair
 
“A deftly written story entangling family, identity, chocolate and murder, set in the lush golden days of Ecuador’s cacao boom in the early twentieth century. Hughes gradually weaves the separate tales of her narrators into a single strong thread, drawing you into the world of three very different sisters united by deception and loss. An exciting debut from this fresh voice!”
—Shana Abé, New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor
 
“An atmospheric and captivating mystery set against the backdrop of 1920s Ecuador, The Spanish Daughter is an engrossing, suspenseful family saga filled with unpredictable twists and turns.”
—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana

Library Journal - Audio

03/01/2022

Upon news of her father's death in Ecuador, Puri travels from Spain to South America to meet her father's new family and make a fresh start at the cocoa estate she has just inherited. As a chocolatier, Puri had become an expert at turning cacao beans into the extremely popular hot chocolate drink and truffles Europeans craved. In South America, she finds that the cultivators of these beans know little of the products created from them. Someone is upset about Puri's claim to the estate and murders her husband in an attempt on her life. Every member of the family, plus several estate workers, might have wanted her dead, but who? Puri decides to pretend to be her husband while she investigates the matter. Narrator Frankie Corzo calmly and evenly lays out Puri's thoughts and deductions as she teases out the killer. Corzo's Castilian pronunciations will transport listeners. With this novel, Hughes (The Sisters of Alameda Street) explores an exciting historical period in her native Ecuador while considering gender roles and colonialism in South America. VERDICT Recommended for public libraries.—Laura Trombley

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176001495
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	12/28/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,156,712

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