Native Culture is Represented in Sofia Robleda's Fascinating Historical Novel

by MK French

In 1551 Guatamala, Don Alonso raises his daughter Catalina Cerrato alone. He holds sway over the lower class of indigenous people, but Catalina wants to honor not only her Spanish aristocratic heritage but that of her Maya noblewoman mother. She had promised to preserve the Propol Vuh, a secret and forbidden history of the K'iche people. With the ability to commit stories to memory, Catalina hopes to rewrite the stories. She has an ally in Juan de Rojas, whose rule was compromised by the Spanish invasion, but her father grows even more tyrannical.

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August 2024; Amazon Crossing; 978-1662517976
audio, ebook, print (301 pages); cultural heritage fiction

Catalina's mother taught her the language, stories, and traditions of the K'iche, and the Propol Vuh is a written copy of the lore and genealogies of their kings and noble houses. When the Spaniards arrived and massacred the native people, Catalina's mother was left as the lone survivor of her noble house. Her brothers should have protected the document and history, but it was up to her and then Catalina as the Daughters of Fire to do so. She remembers all of them when Juan de Rojas arrives demanding it, refusing to believe that she didn't purposely damage the document to prevent him from getting it, or that a necklace she was given wasn't worn as an insult to his royal heritage. He looks down on her mixed blood, just as many Spaniards do, and doesn't think twice about the insults he gives her until he sees for himself that her dances and memories of the songs ring true. Recreating the document is fraught with danger, which forces them to take years to do.

Catalina is the only remaining daughter that Don Alonso recognizes and is stifled in his palatial home, with no company but servants and not even access to quills and ink. Still, she perseveres against the restrictions placed on her, chafes against being forced to wait months for the men in her life to make their moves, and then pushing past physical limits when injuries nearly kill her. She takes her promise to her mother seriously and is determined to recreate the entire history as she remembers it. I admire her perseverance, the strength to continue, and the struggle to keep her promises despite how divided her allegiances to her heritages are. Many historical figures are in this novel, and the afterward tells us what little we know as facts from the period. This is a fascinating look into the time period and the various classes and cultures in Central America.

Buy Daughter of Fire at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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