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A Daughter's Place
A sweeping historical romance inspired by the real-life daughter of Miguel de Cervantes, celebrated author of Don Quixote
Madrid, 1599. Following her mother’s sudden death, fifteen-year-old Isabel goes to live in the family home of her father, the poet and war hero Miguel de Cervantes, a man she has never met. Forced to pose as a maid to conceal her illegitimate status, Isabel must adapt to a new way of life with her jealous cousin and protective aunts while she waits for her father to return from Seville. Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Esquivias, Miguel’s pious and faithful wife Catalina similarly awaits his return, blissfully unaware of Isabel’s existence.
As Miguel works on the manuscript that will become his masterpiece, Don Quixote, the years pass and Isabel grows into womanhood, falling in and out love, uncovering family secrets, and yearning for the legitimacy denied her by a rigid and callous society. Capturing two tumultuous decades of Golden Age Spain in rich historical detail, Martha Bátiz paints a compassionate portrait of a family on the precipice of great change and the fiercely independent woman at its centre striving to make a life of her own.
Madrid, 1599. Following her mother’s sudden death, fifteen-year-old Isabel goes to live in the family home of her father, the poet and war hero Miguel de Cervantes, a man she has never met. Forced to pose as a maid to conceal her illegitimate status, Isabel must adapt to a new way of life with her jealous cousin and protective aunts while she waits for her father to return from Seville. Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Esquivias, Miguel’s pious and faithful wife Catalina similarly awaits his return, blissfully unaware of Isabel’s existence.
As Miguel works on the manuscript that will become his masterpiece, Don Quixote, the years pass and Isabel grows into womanhood, falling in and out love, uncovering family secrets, and yearning for the legitimacy denied her by a rigid and callous society. Capturing two tumultuous decades of Golden Age Spain in rich historical detail, Martha Bátiz paints a compassionate portrait of a family on the precipice of great change and the fiercely independent woman at its centre striving to make a life of her own.
408 pages, Paperback
Published May 20, 2025
17 people are currently reading
5638 people want to read
About the author
Martha Batiz
18 books50 followersMartha Batiz was born and raised in Mexico City, but has been living in Toronto since 2003. She started publishing in 1993 at age 22. Her articles, chronicles, reviews and short stories have appeared in diverse newspapers and magazines not only in her homeland, but also in Spain, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Peru, Ireland, England, the United States, Australia, and Canada. Her first book was a short-story collection called A todos los voy a matar (I’m Going To Kill Them All, Castillo Press, 2000). Her award-winning novella The Wolf’s Mouth/ Damiana's Reprieve (Exile Editions, 2009 and 2018, respectively) was originally published in Spanish both in the Dominican Republic and in Mexico (Boca de lobo, in 2007 and 2008, respectively), and is available on Audible in Spanish since 2021. The Wolf's Mouth/Damiana's Reprieve is available in French as La Gueule du Loup since 2018. A second short-story collection titled De tránsito (In Transit) was published in 2014 in Puerto Rico by Terranova Editores, and received an honorary mention in the International Latino Book Awards in San Francisco in 2015. Martha went on to win the First Place in the International Latino Book Awards in 2018 for her first short-story collection in English, Plaza Requiem: Stories at the Edge of Ordinary Lives (Exile Editions, 2017). Her most recent book is another short-story collection titled No Stars in the Sky (House of Anansi Press, 2022). Her debut novel, A Daughter's Place, in which she explores the lives of the daughter, niece, sisters, and wife of celebrated Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, will be released on May 20, 2025, by House of Anansi Press.
Martha holds a PhD in Latin American Literature and is an ATA-certified literary translator. Besides being the founder and instructor of the Creative Writing in Spanish course currently offered by the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto, she is a part-time Professor at York University/Glendon College, where she teaches Spanish literature and language, and Literary Translation. In 2014, Martha was featured in Latinos Magazine among the Top Ten Most Successful Mexicans in Canada. In 2015, she was chosen as one of the Top Ten Most Influential Hispanic-Canadians. Martha's work has been widely anthologized in Mexico and within the Hispanic-Canadian community in Canada. She was part of the editorial committee of the very successful anthology Historias de Toronto (Toronto Stories. Lugar Comun, Ottawa, 2016).
Martha holds a PhD in Latin American Literature and is an ATA-certified literary translator. Besides being the founder and instructor of the Creative Writing in Spanish course currently offered by the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto, she is a part-time Professor at York University/Glendon College, where she teaches Spanish literature and language, and Literary Translation. In 2014, Martha was featured in Latinos Magazine among the Top Ten Most Successful Mexicans in Canada. In 2015, she was chosen as one of the Top Ten Most Influential Hispanic-Canadians. Martha's work has been widely anthologized in Mexico and within the Hispanic-Canadian community in Canada. She was part of the editorial committee of the very successful anthology Historias de Toronto (Toronto Stories. Lugar Comun, Ottawa, 2016).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
February 6, 2025
Madrid, 1599. Young Isabella's life is ripped apart when her mother dies and the man she has always thought of as her father is not, but a man named Miguel de Cervantes( war hero and later the acclaimed author of Don Quixote) who is her real father. When his sister comes to claim her so that she will join his family Isabella loses everything she has ever belived in and must learn to be part of a new family and daughter to a man she has never known.
This was a vividly descriptive read that comes alive with the sights and sounds of Spain's rich history that I got lost in and the storyline follows Isabella's journey with her new family, her father and the continual heartache life hands her until one day Isabella becomes a force to reckon with who will no longer accept things as they are and chooses her own path. I Enjoyed the author's notes at the end of this book and was fascinated about Miguel de Cervantes, his family and daughter Isabella. Recommended.
Thank you to Edelweiss and author Martha Batiz for providing me a copy of this awesome read in exchange for my honest review
This was a vividly descriptive read that comes alive with the sights and sounds of Spain's rich history that I got lost in and the storyline follows Isabella's journey with her new family, her father and the continual heartache life hands her until one day Isabella becomes a force to reckon with who will no longer accept things as they are and chooses her own path. I Enjoyed the author's notes at the end of this book and was fascinated about Miguel de Cervantes, his family and daughter Isabella. Recommended.
Thank you to Edelweiss and author Martha Batiz for providing me a copy of this awesome read in exchange for my honest review
May 7, 2025
I ate this up in 3 days! This book brought me out of my reading slump. It was an immersive historical narrative that follows the journeys of three women with ties to Miguel de Cervantes. I particularly found that the sections following Isabel were most dynamic and fleshed out, but I enjoyed all three different perspectives of the women. I am not an expert in early modern Spanish history but enjoyed the historical detail and appreciate that this book was written by a scholar of theater in the same location and period. I enjoyed all of the different entanglements the women got into and loved many of the supporting/side characters.
Some of the Spanish was at too high of a level for me to follow with my intermediate conversational competency. I am not sure if this is due to the author using old Spanish, Spaniard Spanish, or it was just too advanced for me! Haha
Regarding critiques, I did find that, especially in the first half of the book, some of the scenes that were serious, or that had with many people and lots of action, passed by very quickly relative to their importance to the story in a way that made the pacing feel off.
I also found that some of the language was a bit too modern for a work of historical fiction. I saw in the authors note that, like Don Q, the author strove to write the book in everyday speech. However, at time turns of phrase felt anachronistic or out of place relative to the register of speech (older terms of phrase, formality) present in most of the book.
Oh, and the ending was a bit sudden! If Catalina was so rich, why couldn’t she pay for the item of discussion? I felt that the resolutions could’ve been a bit cleaner and tied the narrative off.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book! The relationships between all of the women were, I think, my favorite part.
Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi press for the eARC!
Some of the Spanish was at too high of a level for me to follow with my intermediate conversational competency. I am not sure if this is due to the author using old Spanish, Spaniard Spanish, or it was just too advanced for me! Haha
Regarding critiques, I did find that, especially in the first half of the book, some of the scenes that were serious, or that had with many people and lots of action, passed by very quickly relative to their importance to the story in a way that made the pacing feel off.
I also found that some of the language was a bit too modern for a work of historical fiction. I saw in the authors note that, like Don Q, the author strove to write the book in everyday speech. However, at time turns of phrase felt anachronistic or out of place relative to the register of speech (older terms of phrase, formality) present in most of the book.
Oh, and the ending was a bit sudden! If Catalina was so rich, why couldn’t she pay for the item of discussion? I felt that the resolutions could’ve been a bit cleaner and tied the narrative off.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book! The relationships between all of the women were, I think, my favorite part.
Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi press for the eARC!
April 28, 2025
I had the great fortune of reading a pre-released digital copy of A Daughter's Place and can tell you that Martha Bátiz has created a brilliant masterpiece.
When I found out she was undertaking the most ambitious project of her career, I was immediately intrigued. She had been researching the archives of Miguel de Cervantes, Spain's most revered writer and author of Don Quixote, and was writing a novel from the perspective of his real-life illegitimate daughter, Isabel, who came into his life at age 15 when her mother died. The novel depicts how Cervantes agreed to let her live with his family on the condition that she conceal her identity and pose as a maid.
This is Isabel's untold story — but also the story of the other women in Cervantes' life who had to fight for their survival in patriarchal Spain.
Martha's extraordinary storytelling gift kept me up reading all night until the wee hours of the morning. I felt as though all the women found a place in my heart because of Martha's ability to paint an entire inner world for each character, so the reader feels they know each of them intimately: Isabel, the narrator and daughter of Cervantes; Catalina, Cervantes' wife who longs to bear children; Ana, Isabel's little sister whom she must leave behind; and Constanza, Isabel's cousin who must make room for her when she moves in.
I found myself anxiously trying to guess what would happen next and could already envision this novel being made into a Netflix series!
I cannot imagine the dedication and courage it took to write this novel, which seamlessly weaves two decades of Spain's history as its backdrop and brings to light a heroine who has remained hidden for centuries. As with Martha's previous work, she gives voice to women whose stories would otherwise remain unknown — and in this case, sheds light on the women who played pivotal roles in Cervantes' life yet were never fully recognized in history.
I believe A Daughter’s Place will put Martha Bátiz on the international stage as one of the greatest storytellers of our time — and whose writing haunts us long after we are done reading.
When I found out she was undertaking the most ambitious project of her career, I was immediately intrigued. She had been researching the archives of Miguel de Cervantes, Spain's most revered writer and author of Don Quixote, and was writing a novel from the perspective of his real-life illegitimate daughter, Isabel, who came into his life at age 15 when her mother died. The novel depicts how Cervantes agreed to let her live with his family on the condition that she conceal her identity and pose as a maid.
This is Isabel's untold story — but also the story of the other women in Cervantes' life who had to fight for their survival in patriarchal Spain.
Martha's extraordinary storytelling gift kept me up reading all night until the wee hours of the morning. I felt as though all the women found a place in my heart because of Martha's ability to paint an entire inner world for each character, so the reader feels they know each of them intimately: Isabel, the narrator and daughter of Cervantes; Catalina, Cervantes' wife who longs to bear children; Ana, Isabel's little sister whom she must leave behind; and Constanza, Isabel's cousin who must make room for her when she moves in.
I found myself anxiously trying to guess what would happen next and could already envision this novel being made into a Netflix series!
I cannot imagine the dedication and courage it took to write this novel, which seamlessly weaves two decades of Spain's history as its backdrop and brings to light a heroine who has remained hidden for centuries. As with Martha's previous work, she gives voice to women whose stories would otherwise remain unknown — and in this case, sheds light on the women who played pivotal roles in Cervantes' life yet were never fully recognized in history.
I believe A Daughter’s Place will put Martha Bátiz on the international stage as one of the greatest storytellers of our time — and whose writing haunts us long after we are done reading.
June 3, 2025
A powerful story about women’s role in a patriarchal society in the backdrop of Spain at the turn of the 16th century (or 17th? Sometime). It follows the women in the life of famous writer, Miguel de Cervantes who wrote Don Quixote, and tells a powerful story of family, love, loss, and most importantly - a woman’s place. Which was a terrible place to be back then and lowkey still is now. It was written well, was incredibly engaging I could not put it down, and explored so many facets of life in that time period. I am usually not a historical fiction girlie but I ate this one right up and I think its commentary is relevant and important!!!! Highly recommend
June 25, 2025
I loved this book and learned so much about the Golden Age in Spain (late 1500’s-early 1600’s).
The story is built around the women in the life of Miguel de Cervantes, who is the author of Don Quixote. The main character is his illegitimate daughter. The determination and resolve that must have been needed for women to survive in this period is staggering but not unique.
Be sure to read the authors notes after you finish the story. If you read them before there will definitely be spoilers and if you don’t read them at all you will be mission out.
The story is built around the women in the life of Miguel de Cervantes, who is the author of Don Quixote. The main character is his illegitimate daughter. The determination and resolve that must have been needed for women to survive in this period is staggering but not unique.
Be sure to read the authors notes after you finish the story. If you read them before there will definitely be spoilers and if you don’t read them at all you will be mission out.
July 5, 2025
3.25 - This story exposed me to a whole side of history I had never considered/read before. The concept is really great—a story of the women surrounding Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, including his illegitimate daughter, niece, and wife. The different perspectives throughout the story added to the story in some parts, but not as much so in others. I finished the book a feeling like the goal of writing this book using multiple perspectives wasn’t entirely accomplished, especially in the cases of Constanza and Catalina. I was also interested in why Isabel and Catalina’s POVs were written in first person when Constanza’s was in third person. That was never really clarified. I also felt like the writing style was a little rudimentary, but after reading the authors note at the end, Batiz says “The use of everyday language to narrate this story is also deliberate—Don Quixote was written in the language of its time, so I decided to write this book in the language of ours, and kept it simple—although, hopefully, still evocative and entertaining—so it would be understood by any and all readers.” Now THAT I can agree with and get behind, and I think she accomplished that beautifully. I loved being exposed to this family’s history, and I would definitely pick up a similar story in the future. I think Batiz ends her authors note with a perfect description of this book’s message: “A Daughter’s Place is a tribute to all the daughters, mothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, and wives whose lives have been erased in order to highlight the important men in their families. Now, more than ever, it is time to hear these women’s voices—our voices—in all of their vigour and power.”
June 16, 2025
Una joven pobre y huérfana que descubre que su padre biológico está vivo y termina viviendo en su casa como una criada, donde sus tías y su prima la maltratan porque “qué hace aquí esta intrusa” y al final el padre se convierte en escritor famoso.
¿Telenovela o biografía real de Isabel Saavedra?
Both. Both is good.
Una estupenda telenovela histórica sobre las mujeres de la vida de Cervantes con una documentación trabajadísima. Algunos personajes son para quitarse el chambergo y hay varios momentos casadebernardalbescos conseguidísimos. Y sí, por supuesto que soy #TeamCatalina.
¿Telenovela o biografía real de Isabel Saavedra?
Both. Both is good.
Una estupenda telenovela histórica sobre las mujeres de la vida de Cervantes con una documentación trabajadísima. Algunos personajes son para quitarse el chambergo y hay varios momentos casadebernardalbescos conseguidísimos. Y sí, por supuesto que soy #TeamCatalina.
September 18, 2025
A page-turning history lesson that's still so relevant and important today.
September 7, 2025
A great little historical novel based on the writer of Don Quixote. Focused on the women in his life, including his illegitimate daughter. It describes all the ways that they supported him in a time when woman had no agency. I really enjoyed it and ripped through it.
June 23, 2025
Thank you to House of Anansi and Tandem Global Collective for choosing me to come along and join in this read a long.
I was first drawn in by this eye catching cover, I thinks it’s stunning to be honest, it reminds me of a painting. Then I liked the idea that it was told from the perspective/ about Don Quixote’s illegitimate daughter (which is a real thing). I’ve heard of Don Quixote but haven’t read the book. Anyways I really loved reading this book. It captured the time period and setting of Spain beautifully, which I have never read a book that I recall in this time period and place. This educated me on how people lived and made money and what they would do in order to get money, and our characters weren’t even poor, poor so I can only imagine. I also liked that it included a side kind of queer aspect which I’m sure happening often and your choice was most likely to pretend you weren’t, like what our character experienced or be killed. I actually wasn’t expecting that, I got vibes from Diego but that’s not the vibe, I was thinking he was going to be abusive. I do wish he would have told Isabel and maybe things would have went better, but also she was quite into her faith so it could have also gone worse. I enjoyed that we also got multiple peoples perspectives. It was just so rich with history. The story was very smooth as well and easy to read. There was a lot of Spanish at the beginnings of chapters which I sadly couldn’t read but that’s okay it added to the story anyways. Now I want to go to Spain and see and experience the history. I loved Isabel, she didn’t take crap from anyone and wasn’t going to let anyone tell her how to live her life, she’d been under people’s thumbs for long enough. And after Isabelita, I feel like she didn’t care anymore and really made sure she was her own decision maker and didn’t care about the repercussions.
I would absolutely recommend this book to all readers.
I was first drawn in by this eye catching cover, I thinks it’s stunning to be honest, it reminds me of a painting. Then I liked the idea that it was told from the perspective/ about Don Quixote’s illegitimate daughter (which is a real thing). I’ve heard of Don Quixote but haven’t read the book. Anyways I really loved reading this book. It captured the time period and setting of Spain beautifully, which I have never read a book that I recall in this time period and place. This educated me on how people lived and made money and what they would do in order to get money, and our characters weren’t even poor, poor so I can only imagine. I also liked that it included a side kind of queer aspect which I’m sure happening often and your choice was most likely to pretend you weren’t, like what our character experienced or be killed. I actually wasn’t expecting that, I got vibes from Diego but that’s not the vibe, I was thinking he was going to be abusive. I do wish he would have told Isabel and maybe things would have went better, but also she was quite into her faith so it could have also gone worse. I enjoyed that we also got multiple peoples perspectives. It was just so rich with history. The story was very smooth as well and easy to read. There was a lot of Spanish at the beginnings of chapters which I sadly couldn’t read but that’s okay it added to the story anyways. Now I want to go to Spain and see and experience the history. I loved Isabel, she didn’t take crap from anyone and wasn’t going to let anyone tell her how to live her life, she’d been under people’s thumbs for long enough. And after Isabelita, I feel like she didn’t care anymore and really made sure she was her own decision maker and didn’t care about the repercussions.
I would absolutely recommend this book to all readers.
May 1, 2025
Martha Bátiz's A Daughter's Place is a historical fiction novel set in Madrid during the Spanish Golden Age (late 1500s to early 1600s). Unsurprisingly, these years weren't particularly golden for women. Daughter's Place follows Miguel de Cervantes' two sisters, niece, and illegitimate daughter, Beatriz. Martha Bátiz, a Canadian author, conducted extensive research on these four women but also had to rely on her imagination, as historical records for women are scarce.
Beatriz is the main character, and what a character she is! In the afterword, Bátiz describes the records of Beatriz's life as a telenovela, which is quite accurate. Vilified for years by historians, Bátiz presents all sides of Beatriz, a complicated woman, showcasing her intelligence and occasional ruthlessness, alongside her loving nature. I learned so much about that time period as well as about de Cervantes and Don Quixote (my dad's favourite book).
Thank you so much to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for this ARC.
Beatriz is the main character, and what a character she is! In the afterword, Bátiz describes the records of Beatriz's life as a telenovela, which is quite accurate. Vilified for years by historians, Bátiz presents all sides of Beatriz, a complicated woman, showcasing her intelligence and occasional ruthlessness, alongside her loving nature. I learned so much about that time period as well as about de Cervantes and Don Quixote (my dad's favourite book).
Thank you so much to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for this ARC.
June 2, 2025
Martha Bátiz’s A Daughter’s Place is a beautifully written and emotionally rich historical novel that gives voice to Isabel, the forgotten illegitimate daughter of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote. Set in 16th-century Spain, the story follows young Isabel as she’s sent to live with the father she’s never met, forced to pretend she’s just a servant to hide her identity.
What makes this novel shine is Isabel herself, strong, smart, and determined to carve out her own place in a world that wants to keep her hidden. Through her eyes, we get a vivid, intimate look at life in Spain’s Golden Age, full of family drama, forbidden love, and the quiet heartbreak of being denied a name.
This isn’t just a story about Cervantes or history, it's about a young woman’s fight to be seen and loved for who she really is. Fans of historical fiction, especially stories with a feminist twist, will find this one deeply moving. Thank you Tandem Collective and Martha Batiz for sharing this book with me!
What makes this novel shine is Isabel herself, strong, smart, and determined to carve out her own place in a world that wants to keep her hidden. Through her eyes, we get a vivid, intimate look at life in Spain’s Golden Age, full of family drama, forbidden love, and the quiet heartbreak of being denied a name.
This isn’t just a story about Cervantes or history, it's about a young woman’s fight to be seen and loved for who she really is. Fans of historical fiction, especially stories with a feminist twist, will find this one deeply moving. Thank you Tandem Collective and Martha Batiz for sharing this book with me!
September 9, 2025
Es una lectura muy entretenida que, como la autora menciona, se basa en la vida de las mujeres que no recibieron reconocimiento por facilitar que Miguel de Cervantes escribiera El Quijote y el resto de su obra.
La historia se centra principalmente en Isabel de Saavedra, hija "ilegítima" del autor y déjenme decirles que su vida tiene más giros que la de cualquier protagonista de telenovela. También conoceremos la voz de la prima de Isabel, Constanza, y a través de algunos apartados, la de Catalina (esposa de Miguel de Cervantes) y de Magdalena (hermana del autor).
Aprecié que Martha Batiz decidiera, al igual que Miguel de Cervantes en su momento con El Quijote, utilizar un lenguaje moderno y coloquial, haciendo digerible y amena la lectura de su novela. Me gustó cómo llevó a cabo el misterio (al menos para mí que no sabía nada de la vida de estas mujeres) y la nota en que decidió terminar esta historia.
Si les gusta la novela histórica, esta es entretenida y rescata la historia de mujeres que debieron recibir más reconocimiento del que tuvieron.
La historia se centra principalmente en Isabel de Saavedra, hija "ilegítima" del autor y déjenme decirles que su vida tiene más giros que la de cualquier protagonista de telenovela. También conoceremos la voz de la prima de Isabel, Constanza, y a través de algunos apartados, la de Catalina (esposa de Miguel de Cervantes) y de Magdalena (hermana del autor).
Aprecié que Martha Batiz decidiera, al igual que Miguel de Cervantes en su momento con El Quijote, utilizar un lenguaje moderno y coloquial, haciendo digerible y amena la lectura de su novela. Me gustó cómo llevó a cabo el misterio (al menos para mí que no sabía nada de la vida de estas mujeres) y la nota en que decidió terminar esta historia.
Si les gusta la novela histórica, esta es entretenida y rescata la historia de mujeres que debieron recibir más reconocimiento del que tuvieron.
May 7, 2025
An engaging work of historical fiction that sheds light on the overlooked lives of the women behind the making of Don Quixote. I appreciated the chance to learn more about the period — not just through facts, but through the emotional and social realities of women connected to Cervantes, who, despite their proximity to literary greatness, suffered under the weight of societal restrictions and the poor choices of the men around them.
One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is its structure: each chapter is narrated by a different woman, giving voice to those often silenced or erased. The men are still present — making decisions that shape the course of everyone’s lives — but their perspectives never take center stage. Instead, we witness the hopes, frustrations, and mounting anger of the women forced to navigate a world that wasn’t built for them.
At times, the inner monologues veer a little toward over-explanation, which slightly softens the emotional impact — but this is a minor flaw in an otherwise rich and thoughtful debut.
Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for the ARC.
One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is its structure: each chapter is narrated by a different woman, giving voice to those often silenced or erased. The men are still present — making decisions that shape the course of everyone’s lives — but their perspectives never take center stage. Instead, we witness the hopes, frustrations, and mounting anger of the women forced to navigate a world that wasn’t built for them.
At times, the inner monologues veer a little toward over-explanation, which slightly softens the emotional impact — but this is a minor flaw in an otherwise rich and thoughtful debut.
Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for the ARC.
April 15, 2025
How lucky I am to have received an advance readers copy of A Daughter’s Place for it was such an incredible novel! A Daughters Place is a five act novel (mirroring Cervantes’ plays) about the women in Miguel de Cervantes’ life: his daughter, his niece, and his wife. In a stunning and immersive experience, Batíz masterfully weaves together history and fiction to show the unknown, incredibly rich stories of these women. Combining luminous creativity and dedicated research and expertise, Batíz has written a modern classic. If you are a fan of writing, reading, art, history, and incredible women finally having their stories told, A Daughter’s Place is the book for you! A simultaneous homage and criticism on Cervantes, A Daughter’s Place is not a book to miss.
Thank you to House of Anansi Press for providing me this book via Netgalley for review consideration!
Thank you to House of Anansi Press for providing me this book via Netgalley for review consideration!
June 4, 2025
This book tells the eventful story of the women whose lives revolved around Miguel Cervantes, the illustrious author of Don Quixote. Each woman’s tale is tragic in its own way, but we also have the privilege of watching each of them step into as much power as they could seize for themselves at the time.
This historical Spanish setting of this novel is rendered in exquisite detail. From the sights to the smells, expect to be immersed in the troubles and the triumphs of the Cervantes family.
As someone not familiar with the historical time period or the Spanish language, at times I felt it difficult to follow the story as there are a lot of time jumps and the writing is very academic in style. Overall, I think that this book is worth the read if you are interested in the tales of spunky women forging their own path (and if you don’t mind adding a word or two to your vocabulary!)
This historical Spanish setting of this novel is rendered in exquisite detail. From the sights to the smells, expect to be immersed in the troubles and the triumphs of the Cervantes family.
As someone not familiar with the historical time period or the Spanish language, at times I felt it difficult to follow the story as there are a lot of time jumps and the writing is very academic in style. Overall, I think that this book is worth the read if you are interested in the tales of spunky women forging their own path (and if you don’t mind adding a word or two to your vocabulary!)
March 29, 2025
This is a wonderful book! Historical fiction at its finest. This story follows Isabel, the illegitimate daughter of Miguel de Cervantes. I've spent a lot of time in Spain to especially appreciated Madrid as the backdrop. This book is part day-to-day life of Cervantes' sisters, niece, and daughter, and part a reflection of the limitations placed on women during this time.It is also a reflection of familiar relationships and the ebb and flow of feelings and actions.
At times I was sad by the storyline, and other times frustrated with some of the characters and their actions.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for access to this eARC.
At times I was sad by the storyline, and other times frustrated with some of the characters and their actions.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for access to this eARC.
June 9, 2025
I ended this book crying! Miguel and Isabel's relationship had so many ups and downs that it was heartbreaking, and the final chapter broke me.
The Cervantes women worked themselves to the bone for nothing. They never got to see the sweet fruits of their labor without knowing struggle.
The men that came in and out of their lives used them for personal gain repeatedly. It's truly an amazing story, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. I love how bits and pieces of the Cervantes family story are interwoven into the story.
The Cervantes women worked themselves to the bone for nothing. They never got to see the sweet fruits of their labor without knowing struggle.
The men that came in and out of their lives used them for personal gain repeatedly. It's truly an amazing story, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. I love how bits and pieces of the Cervantes family story are interwoven into the story.
June 12, 2025
This was my first historical fiction read in awhile and I really enjoyed it. The novel is based on real people and their history, in particular the women surrounding Miguel de Cervantes (the author of Don Quixote): his daughter, wife, sisters, and niece. I found the story quite engaging and loved the exploration of women's rights (well, lack thereof) in this time. The writing was excellent; I could picture all the settings and feel the characters' emotions clearly.
July 16, 2025
A little harder to dive into but sucked me into the life of Isabel in golden age of Spain. Although some aspects were harder to follow regarding the male characters that surrounded the Cervantes family the book explored complicated themes like homosexuality in 17th century Spain.
I loved how the book was written in short story format through changing first persons perspectives it made for a quick and enjoyable reading experience.
I loved how the book was written in short story format through changing first persons perspectives it made for a quick and enjoyable reading experience.
September 7, 2025
A historical fiction set in Madrid, Spain during the Golden Age of Spain in the 17th Century. Inspired by the real women in Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) life, this story centres the complex untold stories of his daughter Isabel, his niece Constanza, his wife Catalina, and his sister Magdalena. Each woman’s POV is told in a different narrative style giving a fresh and unique reading experience. I really liked this one.
April 29, 2025
ARC review- i thought this was a well written historical fiction! i remember reading “don quixote” in college so the blurb of this book immediately intrigued me. i really enjoyed the multiple points of view from all the women behind miguel. the ending was the only part that felt a bit abrupt but other than that i really enjoyed!!
July 31, 2025
Book was a nice historical fiction about the daughter of Miguel Cervantes. Very interest perspective as the story was told from the perspective of 3 different women. Great commentary on social existence of women in Spain during the time.
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January 7, 2025DNF. This just isn't for me.
July 1, 2025
I really liked this book. It taught me about an era in a country I knew little about. Also I knew nothing about the writer of Don Quixote and I grew to like his daughter quite a bit. Well written and compelling.
December 26, 2025
I was promised a 'sweeping historical romance' from the back cover of this book. There was no sweeping historical romance, and I don't like when books lie to me. That's all I have to say.
June 23, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This was a beautifully written story about the illegitimate daughter of the famous author of Don Quixote- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra . Told from the perspectives of Isabella ( daughter ), his niece , with a few short chapters here and there from his wife .
I loved the way the story unfolded and gave us a view into 15th century Spain . I really liked the little summaries of what was going on during this time frame in Spain to provide more of a context for the story
Thank you to Tandem Collective and the publisher for my gifted copy
This was a beautifully written story about the illegitimate daughter of the famous author of Don Quixote- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra . Told from the perspectives of Isabella ( daughter ), his niece , with a few short chapters here and there from his wife .
I loved the way the story unfolded and gave us a view into 15th century Spain . I really liked the little summaries of what was going on during this time frame in Spain to provide more of a context for the story
Thank you to Tandem Collective and the publisher for my gifted copy
June 18, 2025
This was all kinds of perfection and I read it in one day. It was just that freaking good.
July 7, 2025
Loved loved loved this book⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 21, 2025
It reads like a tapestry come to life. It’s always a challenge to write historical fiction. Where to draw the line between fact and fable? It is obvious that a lot of research has gone into this project, for which the author deserves full credit. Isabel is an enigmatic heroine who reminds me of Tess of the d'Urbervilles in that her actions’ morality could be questioned but not her intentions. The Cervantes family saga is engaging and almost a page turner. I would’ve settled for four stars, but as the author mentions in the notes, everyday language has been used intentionally to narrate the story. It mirrors the vernacular Cervantes used in Don Quixote, but in my opinion it diluted the imagery to some extent. Otherwise it’s a compelling book representing an era, a world famous writer, but most importantly a woman who was bent on surviving despite leading an extremely challenging life.
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