I am going to preface this review with - I think I need to accept I am not a historical fiction reader.

The first 40% of the book was slow but I loved the visuals of a village of women amongst a volcano and the back story of the women and how they came to be there.
Then there was 10% of faster pace when one of the sisters is kidnapped and the other puts a plan together to save her.

Once the story leaves the backdrop of El Salvador I just lost my interest... The story is slow-paced plotwise and I think that is where I am lost.
I need plot to constantly be moving or some dramatic character development which I just wasn't receiving.

I will say, if you love historical fiction and flowery prose than this book is for you!
There are truly beautiful themes and stories told throughout this century span tale.

So, this book is beautiful, but I think I may like my books more surface level and action packed :)

The Volcano Daughters by Gina Maria Balibrera was such an intriguing work of historical fiction for me, as I did not have much familiarity with early 20th-century El Salvador. It's a story of sisterhood laced with tragedy and a dash of magical realism. It's a strong debut, and I will look forward to more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this advanced reader's edition. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give it the time required to write a thorough review and will be unable to read it for this purpose.

3.5/5

It took me a little to get into the story. At first, it was a little confusing with the four narrators, but once you get used to that, the story is engrossing! While it may seem a little clunky at the beginning, The Volcano Daughters is well worth the effort.

I appreciate stories that transport me to another country, culture, and time. Before reading this, I knew nothing about El Salvador's history. I love when books prompt me to find out more information on my own. From Central America to LA, Paris, and San Francisco, The Volcano Daughters will take you on a perilous journey of perseverance and fortitude.

Graciela and Consuelo's story is both depressing and inspiring.It is heartbreaking to watch their struggles. It's interesting to see how the sisters deal with their trauma differently. The horrors of what they experienced are difficult for the reader. I can't imagine how hard it would be for someone who actually lives it.

Read this if you like:
- historical fiction
- stories set in Central America
- stories about sisters overcoming adversity
- little known history

⭐️: 2
DNF. I tried to get into it, but it didn’t hold my interest Maybe I’ll give it another chance at a later time.

I went into this book excited to read it, but I found all the mixed in Spanish to be troublesome for me. I took 5 years of Spanish growing up and could translate a bit of it, but the Spanish was consistently mixed in, and usually slang which was harder to find the translation of.

I DNF'ed this book at 18% because I got bored of looking up the translations and I was struggling to figure out what was happening.

I would only recommend this book if you are fluent in Spanish.

Stories about family through the life of two sisters that weave apart and together again as time passes. This is a story that takes time to get your footing at first and then again half way through... but those adjustments come as the sisters are able to change their paths and take agency over their lives.
There is also a chorus of ghosts, maybe we can call them guides as well, that bring an omniscient narration to the plot.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to people who like family sagas, political intrigue, coming of age stories and, of course, magical realism!

If you want narration 100% grounded in reality, this is not for you. If you are willing to listen to the narration of dead girls from a small South American town as they observe and influence life after their own life... then this is your book!

Thank you NetGalley and Pantheon for the ARC.

In this fascinatingly complex historical fiction novel, readers travel to 1923 El Salvador where a dictator is rising to power and seeks to solidify his rule both politically and spiritually. Growing up in a community of indigenous women alongside a volcano, Graciela must leave all of this behind and move to the capital as the dictator’s personal oracle. Discovering a secret sister named Consuelo and living this new life trapped under El Gran Pendejo, the two unwittingly aid in his rise to power until his power and violence turns on their home at the base of the volcano. As Graciela and Consuelo separate and disappear to different parts of the world, readers too move from the city and separated sisters to a new and surprising reunion. With fantastic characters and the high stakes of a terrifying and realistic setting, the characters are the star of the novel, especially starting at such an interesting place in their relationship. The fascinating historical setting and the complex character dynamics are really exciting to follow as the stakes increase, and the world-building is absolutely incredible with its vibrant locations and incredible detailing. A fascinating, complex, and exciting historical fiction novel, readers will love this sisterly dynamic and the incredibly high stakes of Graciela and Consuelo’s lives.

The Volcalno Daughters is a deep dive into El Salvadorian culture in a long ago era. Two sisters, united by their parents but separated by forces beyond their control. Graciela and Consuela are set apart, raised differently, in vastly differing circumstances, but are brought together afther their father passes. From there, it's a heartwrenching story of survival filled with horrifying circumstances that leave each sister in heartbreakingly disarray, but they are bonded from voices of their past that whisper and help them keep moving forward as they fortify their indomnitable spirit for survival. A different approach to our cultural literature, but worth reading. and sharing!!!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

First book I’ve read that’s based on El Salvador. I had to google some stuff (ie La Siguanita) because I’m less familiar with Salvadoran cultural history/ traditions/ icons, but overall i was intrigued by the plot.

I took a star because of the use of puchica a bajillion times in places where it doesn’t make sense.

Highly recommend to folks who enjoyed Mexican Gothic or The Hacienda.

The Volcano Daughters was such a great read. I loved the character development and the writing was propulsive. I would read more from this author.

Good cultural book with lots of details. Felt disconnected halfway through when the book takes on a different path. Unique story, but somewhat difficult to follow. My favorite parts of the story were learning about El Salvador and the themes around being a woman. Least favorite was the ending, what was the point? Interesting book but the end was poorly written, which is my favorite part of a book.

I wasn’t able to review this book before it’s publish date but now that I have read it I am giving it 4 stars.

{3.5 stars}

Thanks to Pantheon Books for gifted access via NetGalley. All opinions below are my own.

I’m pretty sure this is the first book I’ve ever read set in El Salvador, so I am happy to have experienced a little of the culture of that country. The story follows two sisters from their childhood all the way through to adulthood. Their paths diverge drastically and we see the trials and tribulations of women of this time in this country, Paris, and the US.

This is one of those books that I am glad I read and felt like I enjoyed, but I’m not sure that I “got” it. There was obviously some themes around being a woman, some themes around communism and some about identity, but I’m not sure if that all pulled together into a cohesive message for me in the end.

A story narrated by ghosts cannot be resisted. The Volcano Daughters has four of them!

Two indigenous sisters (Graciela and Consuelo) are reunited in an uncomfortable way in this tale that grows by inches and flashback in readiness for the horrific event that ensures they have no home to return to. . .based on real events in El Salvador, with the goal of paralyzing by terror and culture-murder. Villagers living in the shadow and lava burps of volcano Izalco were blamed for the protests against government, ultimately dooming whole communities. Thus begins the ghost lives of and tales told by the childhood friends of Graciela: Lourdes, Maria, Cora and Lucia, spirits who have taken it upon themselves to watch over Graciela (and Consuelo, albeit grudgingly). These tough girls tell of sisterhood, bonds, reconciliation, forgiveness and love - in the middle of this violent and traumatic story.

Gina María Balibrera's book brings to readers a tale that educates, told in a refreshing way, dropping many Salvadoran language references - opportunities for this reader to recall all those years of standard Spanish and see the differences therein.

*A sincere thank you to Gina María Balibrera, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheVolcanoDaughters #NetGalley

Told in the voices of the murdered Indigenous girls and women from an El Salvador community, The Volcano Daughters follows Graciela and Consuelo, two girls kidnapped and held in the capital at the whim of their father, step-mother, and the supernatural-obsessed dictator, El Gran Pendejo. Forced to take part in his sinister regime, the sisters do their best to survive a country determined to erase their Indigenous roots. But when the dictator takes things too far, Graciela revolts, stealing herself and her sister away from the capital. It's too late to stop his fury and violence, but the sisters will carry the scars with them for the rest of their lives as they try to outrun their past and create new lives for themselves in the shadow of all they've lost, even as the ghosts of their lost friends look on. Heartbreaking and beautiful, revealing a horrifying history I knew nothing about.

Novel about two El Salvadorian sisters who are separated at a young age--one to be brought up and schooled by her father and one left behind. I found it hard to get into at first but when the sisters are reunited the book really picked up and I was turning pages--but then towards the end it slowed down again. Not sure exactly what made the beginning and end so hard to follow and like--maybe the interjection of the other voices. This author has talent but just needs some fine-tuning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for the ARC of The Volcano Daughters!

The Volcano Daughters is the story of two sisters growing up in El Salvador in the early 1900s. The older sister, Consuelo, was claimed by her father and taken from her mother and friends when she was little and raised in the capital. The younger sister, Graciela, spends her life up to her older adolescent years on the volcano, as the women harvest coffee and the nuns teach the children. But she too is claimed by her father's wife and ends up in the capital with her sister and stepmother, for lack of a better term. But as each sister grows and becomes aware of the evil around them can they save their friends on the volcano when the time comes and save themselves?

This was a good debut! I was very unfamiliar with the history so this book was a great learning experience that had be falling into a Wikipedia wormhole on the history of this time. I enjoyed the story for the most part but wasn't grabbed by it. The Spanish phrases and slang made parts difficult to understand. I recommend this one for fans of historical fiction but please check out the trigger warnings as this can get violent at times.

In 1920s El Salvador, two Indigenous sisters grow up apart, until they are brought back together within the powerful circle of an egotistical genocidal dictator. Narrated by the ghosts of four young women from their village who died in a government mandated massacre, this book is quite unique in its use of magical realism and mythology. Graciela and Consuelo narrowly escape the massacre and end up escaping the country separately. The second half of the book follows their individual journeys outside of El Salvador, growing and learning to live through their traumas.

This book almost seemed like two separate books, but I didn't mind. I liked the first half in El Salvador more, probably for its pacing and compelling plot points tied to real history, but I can appreciate the second half for what it's doing. This book shines a light on forgotten history of El Salvador, the colonialism, racism, and autocracy, all with U.S. complicity of course. I highly recommend this book, with the caveat to look up the many content warnings.

I tried with this book multiple times back when I had originally requested it. It was super hard for me to get into and the language changes/slow pace didn’t help that fact. I’m giving this a rating despite the fact that I never finished it due to how far I got in the book.

I think the story is beautiful and there’s definitely a lot going for the subtext and character dynamics, but it just wasn’t for me. Historical and literary fiction really have to grab me somewhat quickly or it’s increasingly difficult to finish. I rarely dnf books, so I might come back and attempt this one again in the future!