Magical Realism — The Book Roads

Daughter of Fire

Sofia Robleda

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.

Guatemala 2024