Set mainly in very early 1600s Spain, this book immediately pulled me in. I wanted to know more about Isabel and how things would turn out with her new family after her mother dies and she finds out her father was not her biological father.

She goes to live with her two aunts and cousin who make a living as talented seamstresses in Madrid. But her true father Miguel is not ready to tell his barren wife of her existence, so she must pretend to be a housemaid for them. This is obviously distressing to Isabel and she does her best to better herself, and find a husband who will give her his name. Meanwhile she's kept from her half sister Ana, whom she had grown up with, in hopes that she will accept her new family more readily. This backfires most epically.

I really enjoyed following along as she grows and attempts to mature, while her father flits back and forth between their home and his wife's home where he spends most of his time working on his new novel Don Quixote. Both households think their lives will change for the better when Don Quixote gets published and becomes an instant hit among the people of Spain. Oh how wrong they are. Isabel's life spirals apart and as she begins putting it back together, she falls for the same tricks all over again, causing her even more heartache.

I was truly gripped by this novel until around the 80% mark when I realized that Isabel has not matured at all, has become more and more selfish and narcissistic, and has learned almost nothing from her past grievances. A character that I had cared for and hoped alongside of, quickly became a character I disliked. Given that this novel is based on true events, it's entirely possible the author wrote Isabel this way simply because that's the way she was in real life.

When all is said and done I really enjoyed this novel, and I do recommend it, but the ending fell flat for me. I have not read Don Quixote, but I enjoyed learning about the author and his complex family through this fictionalized retelling of their lives.

Thanks @netgalley and @houseofanansi for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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.

Fifteen-year-old Isabel is suddenly informed that she's the illegitimate child of the war hero and poet Miguel de Cervantes, soon-to-be author of Don Quixote, at the time this story starts in 1599. His sisters bring her into their home, posing as their maid to hide her illegitimate status from their higher society. Her aunts and jealous cousin, Constanza, teach her how to sew and how to fit into their high society life, or, at least, higher society than what Isabel was used to. All the while, unaware of her husband's new (fifteen-year-old) addition to the family, Catalina de Cervantes awaits Miguel's return from a five-year journey. This story follows the perspectives of three women in the de Cervantes family: Isabel, Constanza, and Catalina. Along their separate and combined journeys, all three women have their own experiences with family secrets, love, and life in a man's world.

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 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 the first person when Constanza’s was in the third person. That was never really clarified. I also felt like the writing style was a little rudimentary, but after reading the author's 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 author's 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 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.”

Madrid, Spain 1599 - After the sudden death of her mother, 15 year-old Isabel learns that she is the illegitimate daughter of war hero and poet Miguel de Cervantes and is forced to leave her grandmother and younger sister behind to live in his family home with his two sisters and his niece, Constanza. Miguel travels often to Seville and otherwise divides his time between their home in Madrid and the nearby town of Esquivias where his pious wife, Catalina, lives blissfully unaware of Isabel's existence.

Isabel, required to pose as a maid to cover up the fact that she is Miguel's illegitimate daughter, slowly adjusts to this new life with her protective aunts and jealous cousin. Over the years that follow, Miguel comes in and out of their lives as he works on the manuscript for what will become his masterpiece, Don Quixote. During this time, Isabel grows up, falls in and out of love and becomes a fiercely independent young woman determined to exercise some control over the path her life takes.

This richly-detailed historical novel set in the first two decades of the 17th century is inspired by the real-life daughter and other female family members of celebrated author Miguel de Cervantes. Told from the points-of-view of Isabel, Constanza and Catalina, it's a thoroughly researched and well-written debut set against the backdrop of two decades of Spain's history during the time period known as the Golden Age.

This novel is set in a fascinating historical time period that I didn't know much about - I felt like I learned a fair bit about Spanish history! I was fully immersed in this enjoyable story about family, love and the role of women in a patriarchal society and felt a strong connection to both Isabel and Constanza. I didn't care as much for Catalina but her perspective was still interesting.

Don Quixote isn't a book that I have ever felt compelled to pick up but, after reading A Daughter's Place, I feel like it might be fun to see how his fiction overlapped with his real life!

Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for providing a digital ARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, lived quite an interesting life. He was a poet, soldier, war hero, prisoner, husband, brother, uncle, father, and author. His writing might portray a man of honor and dignity, but his home life was messy. You see, Miguel was married, but his daughter was not the daughter of his wife, Catalina de Salazar. His daughter, Isabel, was illegitimate, and when her mother died, Miguel decided the best possible solution was to invite Isabel to live with his sisters and his niece. What’s the worst that could happen? Martha Batiz explores the women's lives connected to Miguel de Cervantes in her debut novel, “A Daughter’s Place.”

I would like to thank the House of Anansi Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I had never read Don Quixote, and I knew nothing about Miguel de Cervantes or his family, so I was excited to learn more. Stories like this add depth to the understanding of the late 16th and early 17th centuries in Spain and Europe as a whole.

This novel is broken into five sections and contains three different narrators: Isabel, the illegitimate daughter of Miguel de Cervantes, Constanza de Ovando, Miguel’s niece, and Catalina de Salazar, Miguel’s wife. Our story begins with Isabel, who just turned fifteen. All of her life, she believed that she was the daughter of a tavern owner, that is, until she met Magdalena de Cervantes, who claims to be her aunt, as Isabel’s true father is none other than the famous war hero turned author Miguel de Cervantes. After the death of Isabel’s mother, Miguel has decided to have Magdalena as Isabel’s legal guardian and raise her to be part of his family, although not with the de Cervantes name. Constanza de Ovando has been dumped after a long engagement and is nearing the age of spinsterhood. She is jealous of Isabel and wonders if she will ever marry and have her own life. Finally, we have Catalina de Salazar, who lives far away from the family and did not know that her husband, Miguel, had an illegitimate child.

We see this family slowly adjust to having a new family member and the repercussions of Isabel being part of the de Cervantes family. While the family is getting used to one another, King Philip III of Spain threw a monkey wrench into their plans as he moved the royal court from Madrid to Valladolid and back to Madrid. Since Miguel is writing his magnum opus, Don Quixote, and is looking for sponsors, the family has to move alongside the court, which causes its special kinds of headaches and heartbreaks. There are so many twists and turns, especially the last twist, that kept me guessing until the end of how this novel was going to end.

Batiz has created such a believable world of 16th and 17th century Spain with a colorful cast of characters in the de Cervantes family. I got very attached to this family, and to see what would happen to them as life kept causing chaos. As a debut historical fiction novel, this is such an enjoyable, beautifully written, and extremely well-researched novel, and I hope that Batiz continues to write historical fiction. If you want an excellent novel about one of the most celebrated authors in Spanish history and his family, I highly recommend you read “A Daughter’s Place” by Martha Batiz.

This book was a really good read. I'm always interested in the women who are sometimes lost though history. I really liked the stroy that was set around Miguel de Cervantes' life. Defiantly recommend to friends

I really enjoyed this book! The first third felt slow and difficult to get into but I flew through the rest and really enjoyed learning about a period and people that are almost completely new to me. The author's note at the end was also really interesting and I love learning about the mix of fiction and fact that are woven together in books like this one.

So incredibly well done!

I'm always interested to learn the stories of the women behind the scenes in history, and A Daughter's Place did not disappoint. This story provided a fascinating look at a strong woman's response to extremely difficult circumstances -- not to mention interesting context around Miguel de Cervantes' life.

Thanks to the House of Anansi and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in advance of publication (and in advance of the arrival of my pre-ordered copy!).

I thought this was very well-written and found it fascinating that it was based on a real family. It captured my attention all the way through.

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 are never center focus. Instead, we witness the hopes, frustrations, and mounting anger of the women forced to navigate a world not 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.

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!

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.

If you love women-focused narratives, classic literature, and European history, this book is for you!

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!!

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.

I normally love historical fiction, but I just couldn't get into this one- maybe that's because I haven't read Cervantes. Still, I appreciate all the research and work that went into writing A Daughter's Place.

As a lifetime reader of Historic Fiction, a Daughter’s Place had me hooked from the first page to the last. For all of you who have grown weary of WWII novels, give this one a try. You will not be sorry.

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.