The Spanish Daughter

Puri is the protagonist and the main narrator of the novel. Born in Spain, Puri represents the European influence over Ecuador and is the Spanish daughter in the novel’s title. She describes herself as tall and thin, and she stands almost equal to Cristóbal, reflective of her equal standing in the marriage. Headstrong and defiant, she turned Cristóbal’s inherited bookshop into a chocolate shop, defying traditional gender roles. Puri tries unsuccessfully to have children with Cristóbal but has a miscarriage before she leaves for Ecuador. She has a son with her other love interest, Martin, whom she raises as Cristóbal’s son. Her determined nature is demonstrated in her taking on Cristóbal’s identity after her attempted murder. She is tenacious in solving the mystery of who killed her husband. In doing so, she unveils other secrets and sets her family on the path to reconciliation and healing.

A dynamic character, she changes over the course of the novel, especially her views of men and masculinity. Originally seeing them as the same, she learns through her interactions with Martin, Laurent, and Alberto to see how men differ from each other and how masculinity is not just one thing. She also learns this by performing masculinity herself.