Books like Bitter grounds by Sandra Benítez
Bitter Grounds portrays life in 20th-century Salvadoran society through the lens of the affluent Contreras family, owners of a coffee plantation, and the hardships of the coffee pickers who live beside them. Elite Elena de Contreras travels to Europe, curates her family’s wardrobes, and supports her daughter’s luxury shop, while beneath her polished exterior a deep resilience emerges when betrayal threatens her protected world. In contrast, Jacinta Prieto, a housekeeper from a modest background, witnesses the family’s secrets and guards her own, including a forbidden affair with a married man. By weaving their stories, Sandra Benítez explores themes of class disparity, female agency, and the complex moral landscapes that define both worlds.
First publish date: 1997
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Sandra Benítez
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