Otto Vargas releases new novel about Costa Rican heroine Pancha Carrasco

Journalist and author Otto Vargas is releasing a new novel titled ‘La señora y el Minié: Pancha Carrasco y la patria en armas’. The book, published by Abyad, will debut at the 2026 Costa Rica International Book Fair (FILCR).

The story is set in April 1856 and focuses on Pancha Carrasco, a significant figure in Costa Rican history. While initially assigned as a cook for the General Staff during the march to Rivas, Nicaragua, the conflict eventually leads her to take up arms. The novel aims to portray Carrasco as a mother, woman, protector, and warrior, blending historical rigor regarding the 1856-1857 campaign against filibusters with fictional elements.