Daughter of Fire
Guatemala

Daughter of Fire

by Sofia Robleda

Summary

Set in Guatemala in 1551, Daughter of Fire follows Catalina Cerrato, the daughter of a powerful Spanish landowner and a Maya noblewoman. Growing up between two cultures in the aftermath of the Spanish conquest, Catalina struggles to reconcile her father’s expectations with her mother’s legacy. Before her death, her mother entrusted her with preserving the sacred history of the K’iche’ people, recorded in the Popol Vuh. Determined to protect this endangered heritage, Catalina embarks on a dangerous journey to recover and preserve its stories. Along the way, she encounters Juan de Rojas, a Maya nobleman whose life has also been transformed by the conquest. Blending historical fiction, romance, and Maya mythology, the novel explores cultural identity, colonial oppression, love, and the struggle to preserve Indigenous traditions in the face of erasure.

Reviews

Login to leave a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first!

Sofia Robleda
Sofia Robleda

Sofía Robleda is a Guatemalan-born writer whose work draws on Central American history, culture, and folklore. Her debut novel, Daughter of Fire (2024), blends historical fiction, mythology, and magical elements to explore identity, power, and resistance in the world of the ancient Maya. Through richly imagined storytelling, Robleda brings Indigenous Mesoamerican history and traditions to a wider audience, highlighting the complexity of cultural heritage and the experiences of women navigating patriarchal societies. Her writing reflects an interest in reclaiming overlooked histories and weaving ancestral stories into contemporary literary narratives.

View author page
Published
2024
Author
Sofia Robleda