The Daughters

by Juanet Martinez

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Nicole West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dual timeline, the healing of past lineage, based on tales told about polish historical mythology woven between past and present.

I loved the strength of the women in this novel, their belief in magic and healing powers through nature surrounding them. You will be transported from the world of men at War and the side they choose to support.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline and magical witch interwoven story.

Thanks for asking me to read, I really enjoyed

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“History cannot be erased, but it does not have to repeat itself. You have the power to change what has been set in motion. You just have to believe in it.”
The Daughters-page 313

The Daughters is a story steeped in healing from the past and examining the experiences that shape our lives until we choose to change them for the better. The novel follows three generations, exploring the choices they made and how those decisions influenced the present generation, one that ultimately chooses to break harmful cycles.

Juanet Martinez skillfully blends the setting of World War II with elements of magic and lore alongside the present day, weaving together a powerful story that encourages readers to reflect on how the choices made before our time can shape where we are today.

Around the 60% mark, I did struggle a bit to stay connected with the main characters and found myself rereading a few passages to fully grasp what was happening. However, the emotional undertone of the story never lost its impact. I believe my brief confusion came from adjusting to the way the magical elements were intertwined with the historical narrative, and rereading those sections helped deepen my understanding.

If you enjoy historical fiction with touches of light fantasy, this is a wonderful read. The Daughters is a story that lingers with you, prompting reflection about the legacy we inherit, and the one we choose to leave behind for future generations.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting to fall deeply in love with this dual timeline novel! The Daughters was everything that I could hope for and it gave even more in return. If you are looking for a dual timeline story that is filled with mystery, family secrets, adventure, and a little bit of magic then this is the story for you. I have to admit there were moments I was like woah when something happened.

In modern day we are introduced to Kat who has recently divorced her husband. While cleaning she finds an old postcard which prompts her to speak to her grandmother. Her grandmother tells her of her namesake great-grandmother and the events that lead to them leaving Poland during the war. Deciding she needs some answers for herself Kat decides to go to Poland herself.

However, once arriving to her destination Kat is surrounded with conflict. There is a link of bad blood between her great grandmother and another family. A dependent of the other family a man named Marek agrees to help her. The journey is perilous but in the long run will put an end to so many answered questions that have been stirring for years.

[Priscila Soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical multi-POV fiction! There were moments with some lulls that I would breeze through. Reminded me of Kristin Hannah with notes of mystery, romance, and small magic. Was a fast read and a lovely story of Polish history during the Nazi takeover. Read if you like historical fiction!

[Rochelle Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Ebook Arc and my first book from this author. From beginning to end this book was utterly enjoyable. It is a historical fiction fantasy book, that brings together generations of strong women in a Polish family. It begins with The grandmother hiding something for a generation to follow to find. She puts a protection spell on it with love knowing that the right family member in the future will somehow, someday come find it at the right time and place. With seamless dual timelines , we fast forward to Kat, who is the granddaughter, trying to find herself at a time she is lost in her life. She goes to Poland where her grandmother used to live and magically events start to unfold around her and with her. She realizes she is supposed to be there, as she starts to find little items of her grandmothers. People in the town start to recognize her , and when she tells them her last name the real story of heritage begins for her.
Her grandmothers time was when Hitler was invading Poland , and as the story skips back and forth between late 1930s and present, you connect the past events with the present events that both grandmother and granddaughter are experiencing. This story has real Polish mythology. The characters from this mythology are nothing like I have read. I don’t quite have words for how beautiful this book is and how easy it is to fall in love with all the characters of the book , both bad and good.
It takes you on a past and present trip and makes you also wonder about your own heritage and stories of your past.
It has just a little magic in it , but mainly they are herbal remedies used for healing, her grandmother had taught her about them her whole life.
I encourage anyone that enjoys historical fiction fantasy to read this. It’s just a beautiful book!!

Definitely highly recommend!!

[Tabitha Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝓐𝓻𝓬 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘒𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 1940𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 -- 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴. 𝘜𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘭𝘥.

Have you ever read a book and literally felt like it was meant for you? That was what reading The Daughters has been like for me.

I honestly couldn't tell you what drew me to apply for an arc copy of The Daughters but I truly think it was the universe giving me something that was meant for me. When I got this arc something told me to abandon everything else until I read this book and im so glad I did. I was sucked in by chapter 2 and I could not put this book down. Im sad I finished it less than 2 days but this book is 5 stars no question asked.

Thank you Juanet Martinez for allowing me to be an arc reader for this book i loved it to so much

[Gillian Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Daughters is a beautifully written historical fiction with a touch of magical realism interwoven into the story. I loved the dual timeline which is set between World War 2, 1939 in Poland and the present day.

Kat was in the middle of a divorce. She worked in a library. To her books were sacred. She had been taught from her grandmother that they were filled with words and ideas that were written, with love and magic, from another person. Her grandmother said sometimes you need to make a change if you wanted something better. She told Kat about a special book, at the family mausoleum in Poland. It was a family heirloom which held recipes, herbal information and spells. Kat decided she would go to Poland, where her family had originated from, and for her, hopefully to have a greater understanding about her heritage and background.

I enjoyed travelling on Kats wonderful magical journey and was transported back with her to Poland and shared the fascinating things she encountered.

There were many themes in the story including bonds between generations, family history, secrets, magic, romance and Polish lore.

Thank you to Juanet for allowing me to read this ARC of The Daughters. I thoroughly enjoyed this a give it four stars. Looking forward to her next book.

[Kalleigh Royn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

The Daughters is a beautifully written historical fiction novel told through an intergenerational lens. Blending dual timelines, Polish folklore, and elements of magical realism, it moves seamlessly between present-day discoveries and Poland in 1938, creating a story that feels both grounded and quietly otherworldly.

I found this to be a refreshing read, as I don’t often come across historical fiction centred on Poland. The cultural depth and folklore added a richness that made the story feel immersive and distinct.

What stood out most was the author’s exploration of family history and how stories and “truths” are passed down through generations, and how each person must interpret and reconcile those truths within their own context.

I loved that Kat and Marek were able to find strength in connection and move forward while still honouring the complexity of what came before.

Highly recommended for fans of European historical fiction, family secrets, and subtle magical realism.

[Kenyah The Cultivated Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Daughters is a mysterious, magical, and heart-warming story about confronting past history and forging your own path regardless of past grudges or expectations from others. It flows quickly and is unputdownable because of the alternating perspectives and mystical energy. The only drawback in the storytelling was some repetitive wording and some telling instead of showing, but that didn't detract from the overall narrative. The prose is strong and moving, and this is clearly well researched. I enjoyed reading the Polish exchanges and the way the story added magical realism elements to the challenging historical time of the 1930s. The romantic subplot was authentic, and the characters were developed effectively. I connected with them immediately and empathized with both sides of this story of shared fate. Great story and I highly recommend to any historical fiction readers and fans of magical realism!

[HollaBook Vibes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Daughters by Juanet Martinez. The dual timeline kept things interesting, and I loved the mystery and drama between the warring families—it made the story feel tense in the best way. The Polish folklore elements were a highlight for me, and the depiction of life during World War II felt immersive and well done. I also liked the touches of magic and the romantic subplots woven throughout the story.

That said, the magic became a little hard to follow toward the end, and I found myself confused about what exactly was happening in some of the final scenes. I think the story might have landed even stronger if those elements had been a bit clearer.

Overall, this is a great pick for readers who love historical fiction—especially WWII stories—with a hint of magical or witchcraft elements mixed in.

[Jessica Risoldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a magical, lineage cursed, historical fiction.
I love how FMC came from a strong line of fearless women. After a divorce Kat returns to her ancestor's homelands to learn about her family history to find herself and learn about her families past. She discovers she resembles her great grandmother who was well known in the town. Kat learns the truth of what happened to her Great Grandmother. It is up to Kat to figure out the truth and to break the family ancestral curse.
It was a dual timeline which was easy to follow and pieced the story together as you went along.
This book takes you on the magical journey!

[Jenn the.bookish.stitchery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is a dual timeline book set in Poland in 1938 and current day. The story follows Kat in the current day timeline as she works to uncover buried secrets about her family in pre WWII Poland.

This story grabbed me right from the beginning and never let go. It's full of magic, betrayal, revenge, and most of all truth finding and love. I really liked how the author weaves the two timelines together and brings them together. My only complaint was I wanted the story to be longer, I wasn't ready to leave yet.

All in all, 4.5 🌟

This book contains no spice, but does have several trigger warnings, so please read them.

📚Happy Reading📚

[Augusta Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful dual-timeline story that leans into setting, memory, and the enduring pull of the past, all things I love as a fan of historical fiction. I especially enjoyed the way Polish folklore is threaded throughout the narrative. The presence of the old gods gives the story a haunting, almost dreamlike quality, and it's clear the author has a deep affection for the culture, history, and myths that inspired this work.

Readers who enjoy reflective historical fiction with touches of magic, folklore, and generational storytelling will find a lot to love here. Congratulations to the author on an impressive debut, and as a reader, I can't wait to see where she takes us next!

[Amy Hricko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me a good historical fiction book, and this one did not disappoint.

This story follows Kat, who travels to Poland to learn about her family’s history. But once she gets there, she gets strange treatment from the locals. She learns that her great grandmother had been accused of killing a man. And now Kat sets out to find the truth all these years later.

This book was very well written. It had me hooked from the beginning. I couldn’t stop reading… I had to know what was going to happen.

My heart ached, but what a ride!

[Emilee Forrester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor of ARC reading The Daughters by Juanet Martinez.

I loved this storyline because it is one of strength, resilience, and hope. This book and Kat Stempien’s great-grandmother reminded me that we will go through the hard times as individuals and collectively, but we shouldn’t let fear drive us. We need to stand up for what we believe in and stand up against adversity.

The Daughters is set in the late 1930s when Poland was on the brink of war. I loved how Juanet blended historical fiction, magic, a dual timeline, and Polish folklore. I loved how she intertwined all of them together.

I loved how this story ended. Very well done!

[Ashli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while, a book comes along that can only be described as pure magic… The Daughters is one of those rare gems. Martinez weaves a story that is both breathtakingly beautiful and utterly unique. Told across a dual timeline, the narrative effortlessly transports you to a world steeped in history, folklore, and the strength of womanhood. Every page is layered with secrets, resilience, and heart, and I felt completely immersed in Kat’s journey. I’m truly honored to have been chosen to ARC read such an exquisite piece of art. This is storytelling at its absolute finest.

[Emily Sigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Juanet Martinez for the ARC! This book was so good! I love historical fiction and really liked that this book had a little bit of magical realism and Polish folklore sprinkled into it as well.
I love that there are strong female characters in this book and the theme of learning from the past and breaking generational cycles.

[Renee Oquinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

historical non fiction with dual timeline of present and 1930's poland. story follows kat and her great grandmother as kat ventures to her ancestral home of poland to reconnect and get away from her divorce. once there she is caught up in a mystery to uncover the family secrets from the past with whimsy and magical elements.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully unexpected story blending healing and history together. I loved the dual timeline and how together they told a story of families woven together through time. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a deeply touching read.