I could’ve written a story about María Purificación García, but I was also fascinated by a historical event that took place in my native country: the arrival of a group of French landowners to the coast of Ecuador where they grew cacao for export, and as a byproduct, replicated their own Little Paris in the town of Vinces. During the early twentieth century, Ecuador became one of the top cacao-exporting countries in the world, but the cacao bonanza ended in 1920 with two devastating plagues that wiped out the entire region.

That’s how my protagonist, Puri, was born—the granddaughter of this wonderful lady inventor, the daughter of a French landowner, and a chocolatier herself who introduced an exporting country to the irresistible allure of chocolate.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

My infinite gratitude to the following people:

My wonderful agent, Rachel Brooks, for her perseverance and drive—not even a pandemic could stop her from finding a home for this novel.

To Norma Pérez-Hernández, an editor whose vision and enthusiasm for my work made not only this book possible, but also a sequel to explore Puri’s further adventures.

To Susie Salom for her astute eye which helped me pinpoint what wasn’t working with the book—I believe your guidance and energy were pivotal to this story.

To María Elena Venant for always rushing to clarify my many historical and fashion doubts, and for lending an ear when I need one.

To Marriah Nissen for her ruthless line editing and historical accuracy.

To Shea Berkley, a kindred spirit who’s always there to bounce ideas off and do anything artsy I propose.

To my early readers: the talented Robyn Arrington and the amazing Jill Orr, your excitement and encouragement pushed me to continue to pursue this project.

To the equally talented Brenda Drake for helping me polish that very important first chapter.

To Father Emmanuel Delfin for his trust in me and for sharing his wonderful story of heartbreak and transformation.

To Jackie Padilla for her assistance in chocolate-making, her recipes, and for giving me Puri’s secret ingredient.

To all the readers who reached out to me and kept asking when the next novel was coming out, especially Ana Gracia and Beatriz. Well, here it is and I hope you enjoy it!

To my mom for continuing to feed my imagination with her memories, and my dad for teaching me about hereditary law.

To my family in Ecuador and in the US for their unconditional support, especially to Mónica and Alfredo, who are nothing like Puri’s siblings.

And last, but definitely not least, my gratitude and love for Danny, Andy, and Natalie, who have the perpetual task of correcting my ESL and hearing all about my imaginary worlds.

A READING GROUP GUIDE

THE SPANISH
DAUGHTER

Lorena Hughes

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

These suggested questions are to spark conversation and enhance your reading of The Spanish Daughter.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS