The Spanish Daughter: A Gripping Historical Novel Perfect for Book Clubs

By Lorena Hughes

Book Overview

"An engrossing, suspenseful family saga filled with unpredictable twists and turns." --Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana

"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." --Booklist

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Perfect for fans of Julia Alvarez and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this exhilarating novel transports you to the lush tropical landscape of 1920s Ecuador, blending family drama, dangerous mystery, and the real-life history of the coastal town known as the "birthplace of cacao."

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 "Par?s 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 Crist?bal 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 Crist?bal 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...

"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

"A lushly written story of bittersweet family secrets and betrayals." --Andrea Penrose, author of Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens

"Passionate and suspenseful, The Spanish Daughter is a satisfying historical mystery set in a lush tropical land." --Foreword Reviews STARRED REVIEW

"Engrossing...As addictive as chocolate." --Publishers Weekly

"Richly captivating." --Woman's World

"A fascinating historical."--PopSugar

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1496736249
• ISBN13: 9781496736246
• Release Date: December 2021
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Wonderfully written

This book was so amazing the first couple pages there's a murder right away there's a murder like I think it was like the second page oh my gosh I was like I could not put this book down it was so good and she disguises herself as her husband and I can't tell you a whole lot because it'll give it away but oh my goodness it was a really good I learned a lot about Spain I learned a lot about the equator I or Ecuador I didn't know anything about it I love books where I could still learn stuff characters were all so real it was like watching a movie in your head it was I could not put the book down it only took me a couple days to read it.