\u201cAn engrossing, suspenseful family saga filled with unpredictable twists and turns.\u201d (Chanel Cleeton,\u00a0<\/b>New York Times<\/i><\/b>\u00a0best-selling author of\u00a0<\/b>Next Year in Havana<\/i><\/b>)<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWith 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.\u201d (<\/b>Booklist<\/i><\/b>)<\/b><\/p>\n
The Washington Post Books<\/i><\/b>\u00a0to Read Now<\/b><\/p>\n
PopSugar Best Books of December<\/b><\/p>\n
BiblioLifestyle\u00a0<\/i><\/b>Most Anticipated Winter 2022 Historical Fiction Books<\/b><\/p>\n
Book Riot December Book Recommendations<\/b><\/p>\n
Once Upon a Book Club December Book of the Month<\/b><\/p>\n
Finer Things Book Lover Gifts They\u2019ll Actually Love<\/b><\/p>\n
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 \u201cbirthplace of cacao\u201d.<\/p>\n
As a child in Spain, Puri always knew her passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. But it\u2019s not until his death that she learns of something else she\u2019s inherited – a cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, a town nicknamed \u201cPar\u00eds Chiquito\u201d. 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\u00f3bal set out across the Atlantic Ocean. But it soon becomes clear someone is angered by Puri\u2019s claim to the estate….<\/p>\n
When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills Crist\u00f3bal instead, Puri dons her husband\u2019s clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she searches for the truth of her father\u2019s 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\u2019s 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….<\/p>\n
\u201cA 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.\u201d (<\/b>The Washington Post<\/i><\/b>)<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cA lushly written story of bittersweet family secrets and betrayals.\u201d (Andrea Penrose, author of\u00a0<\/b>Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens<\/i><\/b>)<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cPassionate and suspenseful,\u00a0<\/b>The Spanish Daughter<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a satisfying historical mystery set in a lush tropical land.\u201d (<\/b>Foreword Reviews<\/i><\/b>, starred review)<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cEngrossing…. As addictive as chocolate.\u201d (<\/b>Publishers Weekly<\/i><\/b>)<\/b><\/p>\n