The Volcano Daughters

A Novel

By: Gina María Balibrera

Narrated by: Gisela Chipe, Elena Rey, Alma Cuervo, E. A. Castillo, Ines del Castillo

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • A searingly original debut about two sisters and their flight from genocide—which takes them from Hollywood to Paris to San Francisco’s Cannery Row—each haunted along the way by the ghosts of their murdered friends, who are not yet done telling their stories

“Gripping and spellbinding...Unforgettable.”—Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half • “Stunning...A sweeping yet intimate look at love, sisterhood, and resistance in the face of devastation.” —Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake • “A bilingual, mythological, and original debut about resistance and survival.” —Vulture

El Salvador, 1923. Graciela, a young girl growing up on a volcano in a community of Indigenous women, is summoned to the capital, where she is claimed as an oracle for a rising dictator. There she meets Consuelo, the sister she has never known, who was stolen from their home before Graciela was born. The two spend years under the cruel El Gran Pendejo’s regime, unwillingly helping his reign of terror, until genocide strikes the community from which they hail. Each believing the other to be dead, they escape, fleeing across the globe, reinventing themselves until fate ultimately brings them back together in the most unlikely of ways…

Endlessly surprising, vividly imaginative, bursting with lush life, The Volcano Daughters charts a new history and mythology of El Salvador, fiercely bringing forth voices that have been calling out for generations.

narration.

this was amazing. it's sad but good. I love the narration. you can't top this narration.

A Masterpiece, a must read!

A different, complex & incredible type of story! Superb & clever writing by a unique writer. I will buy this book as a Christmas gift for everyone I love.
As a Salvadoran-American woman, I couldn’t be prouder of seeing our own cipota writing about our ancestors & showing the beautiful of our beautiful country & the essence of our resilient people! Hoooray! I can’t wait to read Ms. Balibrera’s future works of art!

The story

The narrator would randomly not know how to pronounce certain words in Spanish. It was odd. But otherwise the performances were great.

Beautiful Narration, not for non-spanish speakers

if I didn't know Spanish I would have been frustrated with this book, but because I do, it made all the Spanish phrases even more endearing to me. some parts of this book were confusing to follow, but overall it was a sad and tragic and beautiful story.

Culture

It’s obvious to me that the author wanted to paint the true images of the culture. Those who can’t find the story don’t see the culture in it.
It’s a wonderful book, sad and infuriating topics but themes that are seen throughout so many cultures.