Description

A searingly original novel about sisterhood, art, and a community of women who refuse to be silenced.

‘A gripping and spellbinding novel about a sisterhood ripped apart by violence, narrated by a ghostly chorus. An unforgettable debut.’ Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half

Nine-year-old Graciela is raised in the shadow of El Salvador’s Izalco volcano, until the day she is taken to the capital city by the country’s fearsome – and fearsomely superstitious – dictator, who believes her to be a muse capable of foreseeing the future.

There, Graciela meets Consuelo, the sister she never knew existed. Consuelo is everything she is not – volatile, dreamy and teenaged – yet despite their differences, the sisters form an unlikely bond. When the dictator’s brutality is finally unleashed, El Salvador is forever changed. Graciela and Consuelo survive the massacre, but most of their community are not so lucky.

From San Salvador to Los Angeles, Paris to San Francisco, the sisters create a new future for themselves. But the story of those they left behind is not yet over. Their voices, once just a whimper, now shout louder than ever. Listen.

* A Most Anticipated Book of the Year from Vulture and Electric Literature *

Publisher Review

‘A gripping and spellbinding novel about a sisterhood ripped apart by violence, narrated by a ghostly chorus. An unforgettable debut.’ Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half ‘Inventive, surprising, and potent, I fell under Gina Balibrera’s spell from the first line… The Volcano Daughters blew my mind with its rich humor, its beautiful portrayal of women’s lives, and its unstoppable plot.’ Chelsea Bieker, author of Madwoman ‘Stunning: original, magical, brutal, beautiful. 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 ‘A dark marvel of a book… Balibrera’s fusion of history and legend, puts me in mind of a young Isabel Allende.’ Peter Ho Davies, author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself ‘A new heir to the magical realism throne.’ Seattle Times ‘A gorgeous and painful tapestry, rich with history, memory… The Volcano Daughters is a dazzling accomplishment.’ Kirstin Valdez Quade, author of The Five Wounds ‘A towering achievement at the intersection of ancient myth, political history, and vibrant storytelling.’ Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Woman of Light ‘Every character comes vibrantly to life in The Volcano Daughters. Every scene surprises with unexpected tremors of questions about the legacy of political violence… Gina Maria Balibrera is a writer of tremendous imagination.’ Idra Novey, author of Take What You Need ‘A captivating rendition of early-20th-century El Salvador… Riveting… The resilience of sisterly bonds forms the backbone of this swirling, heart-wrenching debut.’ Kirkus ‘The Volcano Daughters is a beautiful novel, weaving together magic and humour with tragedy and the unflinching documentary of injustice in a way that is so skilful and surprising.’ Eleanor Shearer, author of River Sing Me Home ‘Epic and intimate, alive and mournful, The Volcano Daughters is an exquisite novel teeming with life, ghosts, pain, and hope. I was swept away by its lyrical, generous storytelling. What a gorgeous, moving work.’ Aysegul Savas, author of The Anthropologist ‘This intriguing debut novel from writer Gina Maria Balibrera introduces two sisters from El Salvador with a story unlike any other… Is it historical fiction? Magical realism? Alternate history? Speculative mythology? The answer is yes.’ Goodreads (Readers’ Most Anticipated Summer Books) ‘Balibrera offers a new book to be entered into the historical magical realism canon. It is a staggering tome of sisterhood, disaster, and myth…an imaginative roller coaster of emotion.’ Debutiful (The Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2024 – Part Two)