Set against the lush backdrop of early twentieth century Ecuador and inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao, this captivating novel from the award-winning author of The Sisters of Alameda
Street tells the story of a resourceful young chocolatier who must impersonate a man in order to survive âŚ
As a child in Spain, Puri always knew her passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. But itâs not until his death that she learns of something else sheâs inheritedâa cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, a town nicknamed âParĂs Chiquito.â
Eager to claim her birthright and filled with hope for a new life after the devastation of World War I, she and her husband CristĂłbal set out across the Atlantic Ocean. But it soon becomes clear someone is angered by Puriâs claim to the estate âŚ
When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills CristĂłbal instead, Puri dons her husbandâs clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she searches for the truth of her fatherâs legacy in Ecuador. Though
freed from the rules that women are expected to follow, Puri confronts other challenges at the estateânewfound siblings, hidden affairs, and her fatherâs dark secrets. Then there are the dangers awakened by her attraction to an enigmatic
man as she tries to learn the identity of an enemy who is still at large, threatening the future she is determined to claim âŚ