Why a Booktrail?
1900s: Inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao
The Spanish Daughter
What you need to know before your trail
Puri inherited two things from her father: a passion for chocolate, and a cacao plantation located in Ecuador. After learning the art of chocolate-making from her grandmother, Puri opened a chocolate shop in her native Spain. But the Great War that devastated Europe has also ruined her business. Eager to learn more about the source of her beloved chocolate, Puri sets out across the ocean with her husband, Cristóbal. But someone is angered by Puri’s claim to the plantation . . .
When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills Cristóbal instead, Puri dons her husband’s clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she learns the truth. Though freed from the rules that women are expected to follow, Puri confronts other challenges at the plantation—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 . . .
Travel Guide
BookTrail travel to Vince, Ecuador
Vince is a small town is stil known as ‘ Little Paris’ given its history. The author says she was fascinated by a historical event where a group of French landowners arrived in Ecuador and replicated their own little Paris in the town of Vinces. During the early 20th century, Ecuardor became one of the top cacao-exporting countries in the world. The cacao bonanza ended in 1920 with two devastating plagues that wiped out the entire region.
The author has created her protagonist, Puri, to tell the story of how the daughter of a French landowner introduced Ecuador to the allure of chocolate. Maria Purification Garcia was a Spanish woman who allegedly developed the cacao bean roaster in 1847. Not only that, woman back then were not recognised for their work and any patents were registered under their husbands name. IF women wanted to do anything remotely interesting in the field of research, warfare, medecine or anything else for that matter, they had to dress as men to do it.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Spanish Daughter
Destination/location: Vince, Ecuador Author/guide: Lorena Hughes Departure Time: 1900s
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