Summary:
Emilia was born out of an affair between her ex nun mom and a Chilean aristocrat that abandoned them both. Despite this, she grew up to be a self sufficient woman with a passion for writing. After proving herself as a journalist, she makes her way to Chile to cover the civil war there and meet her estranged father. This story goes over her experiences there and how she discovers herself along the way.
My Thoughts:
This books started off a little slow for me. Since I’ve read Isabel Allende before, I knew I had to be patient and all would be well. There’s something about her books that while they don’t immediately suck you in, they leave you with a lasting impression.
Even though this is a historical fiction novel set in 1866, there are so many relevant themes to today regarding war and gender roles.
I think Emilia is a character you could admire and root for. She’s independent in a time when women had very little power.
I think some of her decisions are rash and naive but I think they are all true to her experience and thought process at that time in her life. It’s rare to accomplish this in writing for character but I’m not surprised that Isabel was able to pull it off masterfully.
The ending was interesting and left me feeling like I had the gift of getting know Emilia as a person. Overall, this a genuinely good book and one I recommend for fans of Allende and historical fiction. However, you may find the pacing a little slow if you’ve never read Allende or historical fiction.