The Volcano Daughters: A Novel By Gina Maria Balibrera

The Volcano Daughters is a searing debut that weaves together a breathtaking narrative of survival, sisterhood, and resistance. Set against the backdrop of El Salvador in 1923, the story begins with young Graciela, an Indigenous girl living on a volcano within a close-knit community of women. Her life is upended when she is summoned to the capital and claimed as an oracle for a rising dictator, El Gran Pendejo. There, Graciela discovers Consuelo, her sister who was stolen from their home before Graciela's birth. The reunion is bittersweet, as both are forced to aid the dictator’s reign of terror.

The sisters endure years of oppression under the cruel regime until their community is devastated by genocide. Believing the other to be dead, they each embark on separate journeys of escape. Their flight takes them from the familiar landscapes of El Salvador to the bustling streets of Hollywood, the romantic allure of Paris, and the historical depths of San Francisco’s Cannery Row. Along the way, they are haunted by the ghosts of their murdered friends, whose stories remain unfinished.

As fate intertwines their paths again, Graciela and Consuelo must confront their pasts and the enduring legacy of their shared trauma. The Volcano Daughters is a bilingual, mythological exploration of love, resistance, and survival, vividly bringing to life a new history and mythology of El Salvador. With its gripping, spellbinding narrative and rich emotional depth, it offers a powerful and original reflection on the strength of sisterhood and the resilience of the human spirit. 📚❤️