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!

I confess that I started to read this and then decided to wait until it was on audio so I could listen. I think the language is beautiful on audio. Overall I enjoyed the story, and it felt different than anything else I’ve read. I would recommend it anyone who wants to diversify their reading.

There's only so much you can learn in school, but I never even learned about the massacres in Central America until reading The Volcano Daughters.

3/5- I completely love the story of the two girls becoming sisters but you lost me with the ghost story! So it took me out the story! Made me not caring about the ending too much! Unfortunately this wasn’t it for me!

The Volcano Daughters is a historical fiction written by Gina Maria Balibrera.
It follows two sisters from El Salvador and how their lives played out during the 1932 massacre of the Pipil people.
The story is told over a span of 30 years. It’s a story of sisterhood, friendship and survival. The story’s pacing was the main struggle for me I got stuck in the middle portion of the book. I thought the plot got split with to many subplots. The Volcano Daughters does offer a beautifully scenic description of El Salvador.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Volcano Daughters by Gina María Balibrera is a engaging and heartrending debut featuring the stories two sisters Consuelo and Graciela growing up in El Salvador and surviving political upheaval and genocide, often through the voices of their deceased cousins. This book is excellent for those who enjoy a blend of magical realism and historical fiction. I enjoyed reading both sisters stories both in El Salvador and elsewhere. I found Graciela's story to be the more engaging of the two. Spanish is sprinkled throughout which is something I love in books. Even if you don't speak or understand Spanish, it's easy to determine the meaning from the context. While their responses to trauma are very different, both Consuelo and Graciela grow throughout the book. The writing within the story was beautiful. It is a book meant to be read slowly.

Thank you to Pantheon and NetGalley for an ARC of this booking exchange for an honest review.

I throughly enjoyed this book. It followed the sisters over the years and I enjoyed seeing their growth and how they overcame so much.

I liked how the story was split into different timelines so we really get to experience all of the trials and the good times right along with the girls.

I am definitely interested in more from this author!

This book was a whole journey. Graciela and Consuelo are sisters in El Salvador. Graciela lives with her family in the shadow of the volcano. Consuelo has been taken by the (evil) dictator and lives at the palace. Graciela and Consuelo escape as things are getting rough. The story then moves all over the world, and there are ghosts involved.

I really liked this book. It gave me a perspective I had not considered from a country I embarrassingly know little about. These were strong women with strong personalities. It was their story to tell. The prose was superb, giving the reader a sense of immersion as well due to the beautiful way it was written. Some sad parts, some enraging parts, and some funny parts made this book a great read!